That Which Remains
by CruelRuin
Summary: There are those who are unwanted, those who should never see the sun. Those who lurk in the shadows, and those who slay for their masters. He is none of those. He's Naruto Uzumaki, and he serves a higher purpose... one that delivered him from a fate much worse than death. After all, you are only truly dead when you are forgotten.
1. Chapter 1

**Howdy guys! I've hit a bit of a rough patch with my writing. Basically, I have learnt that I am not as good a writer as I believed I am. So, over the last month or so, I've been working with a few other much better authors to improve my own skills. I know, that is no excuse for the late updates. But I ask you to bear with me for a while longer. I'm working on some projects on the back-end and if you just want to get to the story, you can completely ignore this AN. But if you have come here because you want news on my other stories, well, go to the bottom of this chapter.**

 **Without much ado, let us begin!**

* * *

 **That Which Remains**

 **Chapter 1**

 ** _That Which is Forgotten_**

* * *

Perfection.

To the layman, the word 'perfection' represents something unattainable. Something incomparable to anything else, flawless in itself. Something that was not of human make. Because what form of perfection came from beings that were, for lack of a better phrase, flawed? To find a perfect human was a task magnitudes greater than finding something perfect. Because for humans, perfection lay in fleeting seconds. Moments, memories, acts. instants that hung in the minds of these pitiful creatures forever, distorted by time

That was what Rias Gremory had grown up learning. Of course, that would mean her parents taught her that. Or, heavens forbid, her brother. Tutelage under Zekram Bael scarred people. Perfection was their enemy, something embodied by those they once fought. Angel-kind. Creatures fashioned by the great creator himself. Perfection given form by the hands of one who was both omniscient and omnipotent.

God, the dear, pure daddy of angelkind. Humanity lacked the perfection he had given to his first children. And as such, they strived towards it. As a devil, it was her profession to make sure they never reached that lofty zenith. Else, devilkind would have a much bigger crisis on their hands. Something that would make the great war feel tame in comparison. Which brought her to her current dilemma.

Because against all odds, she had, in fact, found someone. A creature who was, by all means of comparison, perfection incarnate. What more, the object of her current fascination and dread was a human.

A young, blonde, unknown boy.

He didn't exist, as far as any official records went. He was as alien as they came. And he had popped out of nowhere to boot. If not for her brother's curiosity, she wouldn't even know he existed. As for why her brother was curious, it was quite understandable.

The boy had attracted the attention of the great heavenly legion itself.

There were two reasons for that. For one, his soul resembled that of an archangel, pure beyond measure. Sure, even angels were not infallible, but to be as pure as an angel was something only one man had ever achieved. The great Metatron, who was then made god's very own right hand. Into an archangel above all others, even Michael, the one who lead the heavenly host.

There was also his appearance. It was not every day that a being tore its way into a new world, bloodied and beaten past any chance of recovery. Then de-age a few years as his body knit itself together through sheer force of will. There was only one place they though he could have come from.

The dimensional gap, where no human could survive.

But he had, as for his humanity, that was clear as day. He had no presence, no occult powers, nothing. He was blank. Pure, but blank. He wasn't perverted by the powers of the dark; neither was he claimed by the radiance of hallowed light.

Of course, it intrigued her. And she was definitely his age. And who would suspect that a 14-year-old girl would be plotting to kill him? Especially someone as pure as the poor, blonde boy. It had been a cakewalk getting close to him. He had no home, he was a young boy - a naïve boy - in a new and hostile environment. All she had to do was to be kind to him, keep him fed, live with him.

And over the course of a month, he had completely fallen for her.

It was clear that he had never known the touch of a woman, clear that he had never seen much kindness. He was paranoid at first, scared, even. And why wouldn't he be? The village he spoke of, Konoha, didn't exist in this world. Neither did the elemental countries, for that matter. The way he moved spoke of a life lead in complete fear, a fear of his fellow men. A tortured childhood, then? It was the only logical explanation. And she used it to her own advantage.

She made him hers, and she did a damn good job at it.

He soon started to smile. He started talking to her with gusto. He let down his shield, and it was beautiful. It was like watching a pupa turn into a beautiful butterfly. It almost made her re-consider her course of action. But her edict was older than time itself. She was a devil, and her very purpose was to deceive; to lead humans astray.

To remove their progress towards the divine.

Hence, she proposed to him.

That was the day his last guard dropped. Three months of constant contact had led to this point, and she knew his answer before he could so much as say it. It was then that he showed her some of his own 'powers'. Clones, basic manipulation of elements. It was impressive, but devils could do all this and more with their magic. It was nothing game-changing like her own powers of destruction. She decided to completely ignore them. She wasn't scouting him out for her peerage, after all.

Two more months passed, and her time with him was about to come to an end. She was going to Kuoh, and she had been looking forward to it too much let a loose end like the boy delay, or god forbid, ruin it. She had to act fast. Her… progress with the blonde was nowhere near where she wanted it to be. He was still guarded, still wary. There was only one way to get done with it in time for school.

Hence, she took him to her bed.

He shivered. She remembered. He didn't know what to do with his hands, she remembered that as well. His stamina was phenomenal, that too, was a memory she retained. But what she remembered most of all was ripping his heart out the moment they finished.

And more than that, she remembered his face as he lay dying.

It was her first kill, and she had made the grave mistake of looking in his eyes as his life ebbed from his lacerated body. There was no shock. No inkling of pain.

Only a blank look of abject betrayal and confusion.

She left the scene, and her loyal servants appeared. Ready to clean up after their precious princess. This wasn't a job for her peerage. They didn't need to bear the responsibility, nor the honor. And hence, she had reported to her brother, expecting congratulations.

What she got instead, was a resounding slap.

This was new, her brother had never hurt her, be it physical or mental. But the man that stood in front of her was no longer her brother. No, he was the Satan, the only one who mattered. And she, a mere underling, had acted without his consent or knowledge. He told her that the reason he had let her mingle with the boy was simple. It was so that she could learn the potential that humanity represented - that killing him was an act that the heavens were not likely to forgive.

She tried to reason with him, telling him that even Zekram agreed that perfection was their true foe. That humanity was not allowed to grasp it. But for the Satan, the mere mention of the man marked the end of their conversation. He would listen no more, and he made it clear that till Rias was wiser, she would have no more interactions with her grandfather.

Dejected, she returned to her room. Waiting there, she found three files. Intrigued, she decided to peruse them. What she read made her blood run cold.

They covered the Nekoshou massacre, the motion to illegalize the reincarnation of other races as Devils, and the removal of the extra houses from the rating game system. The first of these files detailed something that affected one of her peerage members. The others had never taken place, thanks to the timely intervention of the Satans. Had they come to pass, she wouldn't have a peerage. Her sister-in-law would have never gotten the respect she more than deserved.

And worst of all, all three incidents were the work of very man who she had devoted her entire life to. Her dear grandfather, Zekram Bael.

It hit her then, the hate-speeches, the blatant racism, the superior attitude. Zekram thought of anyone who wasn't a pure devil as an enemy. And in a time of peace as fragile as theirs, such thoughts preordained the eradication of their race.

She steeled her heart. She had killed a man, and not for her ideals, but because Zekram feared his kind. She had seen the potential they had firsthand. It showed itself in her knight, in Sona's queen, and in the boy she had murdered. She had taken his potential with her own hand

And she swore on her peerage, she would never do so again.

It had taken the death of a young boy to show her that all races deserved equal respect. She would not let his death stand for nothing.

She couldn't remember his name, but she would not forget his importance. It was the least she could do for the man who had taught her how to live life on her own ideals.

* * *

"Wake up, child."

Naruto slowly did as he was asked. He gripped the trash he lay on, scrambling to his feet. The last thing he remembered was Rias' warm embrace. He had no idea how he ended up here, or where 'here' was, for that matter. As he stood up, all that greeted his eyes was trash. As in, endless mountains of trash. like the ever-shifting dunes of Suna, but here, there was no wind.

Instead, there was more such trash, falling from the sky. It was like this for miles, or at least as far as he could see, the further away he looked, the larger the mountains of trash got. If there was a ground under the endless expanse of trash, he couldn't see it.

His eyes then fell on the one humanoid figure in the area. Sitting right on top of one of the dunes was a young man in tattered clothing, something that was once a lush, fur cape draped around his thin shoulders. With his regal stature, the man looked extremely out of place sitting on one of the dunes. Even his tattered clothing didn't detract from the princely aura he exuded. One would expect the man to be dirty, but other than his tattered clothing, dirt just didn't seem to stick to him. His blonde hair was still as vibrant as it would be had he been freshly bathed, his face was clean, devoid of any patches of dirt that one would expect on the face of someone who lived in a junkyard. In a place so devoid of life, he stood out like a sore thumb.

"Who are you? What is this place?" Naruto asked, prompting a chuckle out of his companion. The man slowly got to his feel, choosing to walk over to Naruto's own dune, his feet gliding over the uneven trash, speaking of his familiarity with the rough surface.

"Who I am doesn't matter, young Naruto." The man commented offhandedly. "As for this place, well, this is where the forgotten find an end."

Naruto cocked an eyebrow in intrigue, "The forgotten? I don't understand. Also, how do you know my name?"

The man gestured towards the dune next to the two. "Yes, this place is a deposit of things… and people… who are forgotten." He plucked out a broken button from the ground, gingerly holding it between trembling fingers. "Each of them have history, and through my touch, it is revealed. I am their warden, the god of the forgotten."

Naruto nodded with hesitant understanding. "Sure, but why am I here?"

The man – no, god – laughed, a clear, pleasant sound that served to repress the eeriness of theur surroundings. "isn't that obvious, Naruto? The world has forgotten you, that too mere minutes after your departure from the physical realm. You didn't even die before you were forgotten, how sad."

Such simple words, delivered in such a playful tone, yet to Naruto, they hit with the force of a speeding freight train. "I-I'm dead? How?" He asked, making the man shake his head. "No, whatever happened made sure your spirit left the mortal plane before your body could truly die." Naruto breathed a heavy sigh of relief, before being stopped by his companion's wagging index finger. He wasn't done, it seemed.

"What you're left with is a choice. Look at yourself." Naruto did as he was asked, and gasped. His body was both present and absent, physically, it existed, but it was see-through. The sheer feeling of wrongness he emanated was a physical thing, and then he realized that it wasn't where he was that brought about his current sense of unease, but what he was instead.

"You're currently on the border. Unlike inanimate things, humans cannot truly be forgotten till they die. For it is then that they forget themselves, or the physical body that 'was' them." He continued, resting a single, bony, shivering finger on Naruto's chest, right above his heart. "Your heart was torn from your body by the one you loved. Ironic. But your inner vitality, and the beast that lives inside you, won't let you go so easily."

"So, it is up to you now. You can either let go of yourself and rest here forevermore, or you can return to a world where no one remembers you."

Naruto met his companion's eyes with a confused look on his face, "Wait, I have a choice?" he asked. His companion nodded. Naruto spared one long, wandering gaze to the wasteland. Would he want to stay here? Was the alternative of going back to the unknown, impersonal world he came from truly worth it? That was a question he was ill equipped to answer.

"I – I don't know." Naruto confessed. "Honestly speaking, this place is not very appealing to me, but the other world forgot me in almost an instant. I would like some time to think, if you don't mind."

The man chuckled yet again, drawing amusement from his fellow blonde's confusion. "Sadly, I cannot allow that. This place affects mortals like you more than you believe it does. Stay here long enough, and even the most stalwart souls end up forgetting themselves. I'd know, I've been here for all eternity."

Naruto winced. The man was right. Every minute he spent here felt like it was spent in deep-seated meditation. He had forgotten his sense of being when he had mastered sage mode, but this, this took it a level further. If he stayed here, he was sure he would end up forgetting who he was and everything he stood for. Had he been in the elemental nations, he wouldn't think twice about leaving. But now, he wasn't quite so sure.

"What's the tradeoff?"

Sure, living in what amounted to an endless junkyard didn't sound appealing at all, but this man, right here, had sacrificed eternal life to stay here. Why? Sensing his confusion, the man spoke again.

"I too, was once like you. My life at an end, my purpose forgotten. But unlike hundreds of my companions, my body lived, left entrenched in the mortal realm. But I was forgotten." his piercing gaze held Naruto's own. "I came here in a time of war. You should have seen this place then, if you think the rain is bad now, you should have seen it back then. It poured, each item that came in was steeped in history. Things are forgotten in war, too many things of importance. And to me, each such item was a storybook too fascinating to describe. The deeper I dug, the more I learnt. This place promised me more knowledge than even the archives of heaven… or hell, for that matter. So, I stayed too long, I forgot who I was. And now, the only thing I remember from my own past is a name. A name I don't believe I can lay claim to."

"Tenshin."

Naruto chuckled. "Cakes! your name means cakes! The man didn't look irritated, rather, he looked quite happy.

"I'm a cake, you're a fishcake. That alone makes you good company, Naruto Uzumaki."

The blonde shook his head. "My name means 'Maelstrom', old man!" He yelled, completely disregarding the playful smirk on his companion's face.

"And Tenshin, young one, means 'providence'." He countered, making Naruto puff his cheeks with irritation.

"On to the crux of the matter. What is your answer?"

Naruto didn't answer for a few seconds, instead choosing to stare forlornly at the ground under him, before looking into Tenshin's eyes with a melancholy smile. "No offense, Tenshin, but I have never been someone with an interest in the mysteries of life. I want to live - This time, on my own terms."

To his credit, Tenshin wasn't surprised or disappointed, not outwardly, at least. He simply motioned towards a dirty sword sticking out of the hill behind him. It didn't look like much at first glance, but two things set it apart from the entire mound of trash under it. It was still sharp, though dirty. More remarkable was the blade itself, made of green crystal with the word 'STRADA' engraved into it lengthwise.

"This weapon was a vile creation of the church, meant to surpass a true holy sword. It was created using the essence of children who could wield holy blades. The church both succeeded and failed their purpose. They made a blade that surpassed any other of human make, one capable to going up against the likes of Durandal itself. But it could never be wielded by the one man who it was made for. Hence, it was forgotten." He stated, prompting Naruto to pick it up. As Naruto pulled the blade from the hill, Tenshin continued. "The blade was forgotten, but it shared its name with one of the greatest exorcists of the church. Hence, it exists in the same limbo as you. Considering who and what you are, you should have no trouble wielding it."

True to his words, the sword reacted to Naruto almost instantly. As he lifted it up, the blade began to glow with a haunting green light, almost as bright as a neon sign but not quite there. Before he could admire the blade in his hands, it shattered into a billion motes of light and shot into his body.

And it was hell.

His head split with pain as the man-made relic's programming activated, transmitting to him the exact powers and usage of the sword. It was made with the sole purpose of combining the destructive power of Durandal and the space-time manipulation of caliburn and it had mated their powers with the same subtlety as the twisting of a hurricane. The powers simply did not harmonize. But they could definitely be used alone.

He knew how to get out of here.

"Go, Naruto. Live your life." Tenshin stated, giving the blonde a kind smile. Naruto summoned the blade from within his soul, and it began to glow bright yellow, the power of Caliburn saturating its blade. He brought it down, slashing through thin air. The blade left a ripple that expanded into a rip between dimensions. Looking through it, Naruto could see a familiar back-alley. The place he had called home for his first week in Japan. He steeled himself and gave one last look to Tenshin, a happy smile firmly in place on his visage.

"You might be the god of the forgotten, but I'm not going to forget you."

The rip in space closed as Naruto passed through, leaving Tenshin alone in the land of the forgotten. His smile suddenly morphed into something a lot more sinister. From under his cloak, he withdrew one of his hands. Just as he expected, it had slowly started to fade, becoming transparent, not unlike how Naruto had been mere moments ago.

"Of course you won't, Naruto. I'll be counting on it."

* * *

Three months.

Three months was all it took Naruto to realize that something had changed within him. That the realm of the forgotten had taken more than just a day of his life from him. It happened when he went to work for the first time, a simple ramen stall. A week he worked there just fine, but when he came back after his first holiday, his employers didn't remember him at all. Not one bit. What more, the store's regular customers didn't either. It all led to the shopkeeper calling the cops, and him going to the station for detainment due to lack of identification. He spent a night there, only to be released by a cop next morning who couldn't for the life of him figure out who he was or why he was brought in. A quick, basic genjutsu was enough to convince him that Naruto never existed.

He knew that he had to work to survive. And he needed a job where he would be on call each and every day. As such, only one job remained viable for him.

He became a residential caretaker at an orphanage. It only took a little convincing to get him the job. Apparently, explaining that he himself was an orphan did the trick. He felt ashamed, using his past to get himself a secure job, but he took solace in the fact that he didn't plan to do anything bad. He stayed at the orphanage, providing for the needs of the many kids there. It was a good life, a nice life. And he lived it for a year. Every time his employer showed up, he would have to be reminded who Naruto was though a Genjutsu. Though each time, Naruto had to remind him less. It was as if multiple interactions with the blonde made him remember him more.

Still, it was never enough. The most his employer could remember were mere notions of who he was. It made Naruto hypothesize that enough contact, or closeness, with him could - in theory - get people to remember him. He had no heart to experiment on the children, so he waited for an opportunity to present itself. Sadly, people had lives. Things to do, people to see.

And when an opportunity did provide itself, he took it. Sadly, he had no idea that his opportunity was about to throw him right back into the world he had barely escaped with his life

* * *

In her long life, there were many mistakes Griselda Quarta had made. She had killed people on the orders of the church, devils who weren't as bad as the church made them out to be, sinners who were working on their own beliefs, on projects that would improve human life while barely breaking any laws of the church. No, not god's divine rules, not the edict of the light, but rules the clergy had forced on humanity for their own benefit.

But today, she had made a mistake of judgement that was so great, she wasn't sure if the heavens could ever forgive her for it.

She had decided to trust Dulio's sense of direction.

Now, Dulio was well-known in certain circles for being an avid traveler, disappearing for months on end and returning with bags filled with delicacies for the child exorcists-in-training. When Lady Gabriel gave them their divine quest, she decided to follow Dulio. Considering her lack of knowledge about the Chinese region in general, the decision made perfect sense. Dulio insisted he had been there.

What she did not expect was to end up in Japan.

And they hadn't even used magic to travel.

"Again, I'm sorry for this, Griselda, but the letters on the tickets were almost identical!"

Griselda sighed as she dodged another attack from her assailant, she'd call him a man, but his energy spoke differently. It was darker than any devil's, even a Satan's. It felt primordial, raging against her sword of light rather than dying out like darkness was wont against light. Instead, the… thing, it used its very hands to deflect the sword she had killed over a hundred stray devils with. Such was the power of their adversary.

And it was all because of Dulio's gigantic mess up.

"I swear to god, Dulio. Only your luck could lead to us running into an ancient Buddhist demon-god!" Griselda countered, creating space between herself and her enemy, giving Dulio his cue to enter. And enter he did, Zenith Tempest flared, ready to strike with the wrath of Nature.

Sadly, their quarry was faster, he dodged right past Dulio, deciding that Griselda was the weaker of the two, for good reason. No longinus? No fear. He punched her, and for a human like her, it was like being hit by a truck. It sent her careening into a wall, her ribs shattered, any chance she had of returning to the fight gone.

The demon decided to spare the horrified Dulio a condescending look. "They send two exorcists to take me out, to take out the eternal Mara, and they hope to succeed? Pity neither of you are beautiful enough for my tastes, else keeping you alive would be worth the hassle."

"I'm pretty sure Griselda would skewer you for that comment, but I guess I'll have to do." Dulio commented before rushing in, blowing a bubble using Zenith Tempest at point blank, hoping to capture Mara in it. If he could do that, the fight would be won. Mara was too smart to fall for it. He dodged sideways, planting his fist in Dulio's pliant body, sending him flying. As he landed, Dulio used the powers of the Zenith Tempest to break his fall. He was pretty sure he had broken something, but he couldn't give up now. He looked back towards Mara as soon as he stabilized himself on the ground, ready for a counter attack. But none came. Hell, Mara wasn't even paying attention to him anymore.

Because he had been knocked into a building, and in his place stood a blonde, fist outstretched, his knuckles smoking from the impact on Mara's face.

"So there was a third one? I must say, it isn't every day someone gets the drop on me. You have no presence. For someone like you, with the power you possess, that should be an impossibility."

Mara broke through the wall as he dislodged his tall body from the brickwork, slowly flexing his muscled arms. His hat was on the ground, revealing his shoulder-length black hair and pointed goatee. His face was beautiful, even more so than many of the angels Dulio had seen in his life. For a god of power and lust, his face fit perfect. Beautiful, but containing an inherent, primal sort of madness. Soothing and terrifying in equal measure.

"I like to believe I'm an easy-to-forget kind of person." The blonde commented, getting into a combat stance.

"But I saw these two in trouble and thought I should intervene."

Dulio let out a pained chuckle, "I appreciate your offer, but I can't get a civilian involved." He stepped forward, fighting through the pain, confusing Mara for a second. Then, the god burst into laughter, confusing both his opponents.

"I was doing well enough, staying away from the troublesome affairs of both heaven and hell, living a peaceful life here. you humans _had_ to come and ruin all of it. Well, it doesn't matter. After I end you, right here, right now, I can always go back to my life. Now, come, kids. Let me show you why they consider me a _**god**_."

Mara appeared in front of Dulio before he even had the chance to react, but he didn't have to. Fist met fist as the blonde boy intercepted, completely nullifying the god's strike, faint surprise appeared on Mara's face, and both the blondes took advantage of it. Not having the time to prepare Zenith Tempest, Dulio struck out with his sword. His unlikely ally produced a blue sphere of pure energy in his hand, shoving it into Mara's abdomen, surprising both friend and foe alike.

The effect was instant, as the spinning sphere caved in Mara's abdomen and launched him back a couple of hundred feet, knocking him into yet another house, they were lucky to be fighting in an abandoned residential complex, else this would have gotten messy real fast. The blonde relaxed for a second, giving Dulio a quirky grin, before being replaced by an outstretched arm coated in demonic power.

Dulio jumped back, but it was too late, Mara was too fast, too strong. It came with his position as a god. Dulio had been dumb when he decided to challenge him, and now, he was paying the price. Mara's leg caught him in the sternum, raising his body three feet into the air. He didn't even have the chance to straighten before Mara turned, smashing his boot-clad foot into the exorcist's face and bashing him into the cold, hard tarmac.

"A nice try, but he has no weapons that can hurt me. And you, wielder of the Zenith Tempest, you don't have enough skill to even hit me. So much potential, so little time."

Before Mara could finish him off though, they were interrupted by a sudden presence. One that they were both, in equal measure, familiar with and unknowing of. After all, holy swords didn't appear daily, and each felt different, even though they all radiated a very similar, holy feeling.

Comfort to the ally, despair to the opponent.

But this one? It was warped. Like an unholy, obscene marriage of power. It felt both like the Durandal - the army-slaying sword - and the Caliburn - the sword that shredded dimensions. The power signature emerged from the very hole the blonde boy had created as he was knocked through the apartment complex. A blow like that was easily enough to completely eviscerate any human - Exorcist or otherwise - but as the boy walked out of the gaping hole, he carried with him a sword that was, in equal parts, beautiful and terrifying.

Normally, one would be more concerned about the human holding the blade rather than the blade itself, but compared to the weapon he carried, the blonde looked almost tame. He seemed almost uninjured by Mara's attack, if the scuffs and bruises on his – now bare – body were anything to go by. Hell, he didn't even look winded. Dulio was reminded of the time he and his fellow exorcists had trained with their forbear, Vasco Strada. A man who he could barrage with sacred-gear powered hits, and yet not even scratch.

"You said you couldn't be hurt by a mere human." The boy stated, a tone of finality in his voice.

"I'd like to test how true your claims are."

He raised his sword, putting both his arms behind it, the blade began to glow a brilliant blue, the power signature of Durandal manifesting stronger than that of Caliburn. The boy tensed, his body angled towards the god. Mara simply turned to him, cocking a fist back, ready to counter.

"Come, brat, let's see if you're made of sterner stuff than these two."

Needing nothing more along the lines of an invitation, the boy charged… no... shot, towards Mara at a speed that Dulio found himself unable to follow. Mara almost hesitated, seeing the light blue colored energy that the blonde himself was exuding, something otherworldly, borderline undetectable. Something easily as potent as Mara's own godly powers. He couldn't afford to take it easy, so he decided to end it.

"Mara smash!"

"Blue stinger!"

Fist met sword, and as was expected, the fist gave way, followed by the arm. Durandal alone could never have done so much, but whatever the sword the blonde wielded was, it far surpassed the original blade. As the sword's arc completed, the very air around Mara exploded. Dulio's limp body was thrown far by the very shockwave of the attack, landing next to the limp form of his female companion. Soon, the blonde joined them, locking eyes with the still-conscious exorcist.

"I think that takes care of him, we should get-" He was cut off as the dwindling power of the god behind him suddenly exploded, multiplying tenfold.

"…out."

What he saw next was a vision that would haunt him for the remainder of his mortal life, for it was not every day that one was graced with the true form of Mara, the Buddhist demon-god of lust and power. And that was not a fight he was going to take. Not here, not ever. He quickly switched STRADA to Caliburn mode and ripped a hole in space to a random place. Anywhere but here. As he picked up the two injured exorcists, he made sure to shut the eyes of the one who was still conscious. But the damage had already been done.

They had seen the chariot, the chariot on which rested the a twenty-foot penis-shaped monster. And no matter how powerful he may be, Naruto did _not_ want to fight that monstrosity.

* * *

"You did a good job getting us here. You have my thanks."

Never in Naruto's short life in this world did he think that one day, he'd have to use his sword to travel halfway across the globe. But desperate times called for desperate measures. He couldn't stand by and just let the two foreigners die. If it meant squaring up against a demon-god, he'd do it. That was the one tenet of his shinobi code he stood by, even if the rest of his code was proven to be garbage time-and-time again.

That was his issue. He just couldn't leave well enough alone. And it wasn't like he hadn't faced a deity before.

That one didn't turn into a giant penis-demon though, that's for sure.

"Don't mention it. Always wanted to see Italy for myself. Also, how can I understand everyone here? I've never studied Italian in my life."

The injured blonde had introduced himself as Dulio Gesualdo when him, the woman, and Naruto had fled the… thing. He had opened a portal to the orphanage first, but the woman was too injured to be treated in just about any hospital. The two didn't even have passports or any documents of identification. Hence, on Dulio's request, he had brought them to Italy – specifically to a small town right outside the order of the Vatican.

The boy had brought Naruto to the doorstep of the largest concentration of power he had ever felt in this world.

It wasn't an intrusive kind of power. It didn't feel like Madara's own debilitating aura. This felt closer to – dare he say it – a father's love. Like the heat from a bonfire on a cold, cold night.

"Your attendant doesn't seem to like me all that much." Naruto commented as the young boy dressing Dulio's finally left the room. He stopped for a second to give Naruto yet another glare, but thankfully didn't try and pick a fight.

"He doesn't like people like you. Blond hair, blue eyes." Dulio responded, pouring himself a glass of water. Naruto moved to help him, but Dulio waved him off.

"I can do stuff like this myself. I'm not as injured as Griselda." He answered, finishing his glass with a large gulp. Naruto sighed. The church they were in wasn't that much different from a hospital. And if Dulio was anything like him, he could understand how the man was feeling.

"Yeah, that Mara dude did a number on her. I'm sorry I couldn't intervene in time. I had to know whether you were enemies or not."

Dulio raised an eyebrow, "And how could you tell that? I could have been sent to kill you, you know?" He we met with a chuckle. Naruto's lips turned upwards in mirth, not believing his companion for a second.

"Then you'd know who I am, and that is impossible."

Dulio regarded Naruto with a critical eye. Sure, he could feel something from the blonde. A sense of wrongness so powerful that he could taste it. It didn't change the fact that he was - very prominently - human.

"In case you're wondering why I feel so… odd. That would be my curse." Naruto commented, an unsure frown on his face.

Dulio frowned. He was the holder of a Longinus. For a curse to affect him so, it would indeed have to be very powerful. But it definitely was permeating his body, ignoring his own power. It wasn't having any pronounced effect. But curses were known to lie dormant for long periods of time.

"What curse? Is it dangerous?"

Naruto shook his head, a somber smile appearing on his face. "Not in the normal sense. There is no mortal danger to you guys. It is _my_ curse."

Dulio shook his head. "Even you. Is it dangerous to you?"

Naruto gazed at him through hazy eyes, "Maybe, it doesn't affect my physically. What it gives me is more like a mental pain."

"If I am absent for a day, people forget who I am. Completely."

Dulio was stunned. Being an orphan, he knew what it meant to be alone. Living a life like that was torture.

"You have more in common with us, then. We exorcists comprise almost completely of orphans. I am one, Griselda is one too. We're all family here. And I believe I speak for them all when I say I want to help you."

Naruto cocked an eyebrow in surprise. "You'd do that? I don't believe you'd do that for free. It seems outside your own area of expertise."

Dulio smiled. "I like to help people, but yes, it isn't something that comes free of cost." He pointed towards the door. "Reece, for example, was an orphan in Germany. I found him on one of my travels. I told him I'd take him to a place where he would no longer have to fear. In exchange, he'd have to join the church. He's a part of the church choir now. He plays the Idiophone."

Naruto grimaced. "Idiophone? That sounds like something incredibly complex."

"Not really, it is better known as the triangle."

Naruto paled, "That's a rather… small price for salvation."

Dulio grinned. "He does what little he can. You, on the other hand, can do so much more."

Naruto looked down at his feet. Sure, he had a small, content life at the orphanage. But was it really what he wanted to do? Would he be content being a small-timer in a completely new world?

What would Jiraya do?

He looked up at Dulio. "Sure, I'll do it."

Dulio gave him one last smile as he reached out to shake Naruto's hand. Naruto complied with ease.

"Then let me welcome you to the ranks of the Exorcists of the Vatican."

* * *

 **That's chapter one done. This will be the story that succeeds The Anomalous one, which has five chapters left between now and completion. The story that will succeed Your True Colors will be published soon. I am dropping Your True Colors cause I simply cannot see myself enjoying the direction it is going in. To make it worthwhile, I'll have to rewrite the whole thing. That is something I am not willing to do while I already have new ideas in my head.**

 **but for all my followers who are RWBY fans, don't worry. The story that will Succeed Your True Colors Will be a RWBYxNaruto crossover and it is a premise that has never been done before on Fanfiction, so hopefully you'll enjoy it more than Your True Colors.**

 **-CruelRuin**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay so, coupla things to address first.**

 **Yes, I deleted Metempsychosis, no, it was not because the community was toxic. It was because I didn't want to write it anymore. I'd written myself into a corner in order to try and please everyone. I needed to remind myself that I write for myself and I don't need to make plot decisions to please any and everyone.**

 **Which leads to my second point. I took a good month and a half off this site to sort out my IRL stuff and get into a better state of mind for writing stuff.**

 **Finally, the third part concerns what I'm gonna do from now on. I'm still going to be writing for Naruto, RWBY and other such franchises. I love writing powerful protagonists, so my stories will still revolve more around stronger characters in the series I write for.**

 **Also, I'm never going to do a harem again. I'm okay with my character sleeping around, but the only times I'm going to even _attempt_ a harem is when the plot calls for it. Just a reminder, that's not something that happens very often.**

 **Thirdly, I'm bringing this story out of its retirement. I've been working with the plot on this one for a while now, and I've come up with a number of cool things I want to try and work with. So, here goes.**

 **As for the stories I've deleted, they're gone. If you wanna unfollow me, be my guest, but if you still remain followed, know that new stories will be showing up to replace them. let me tell you, I've got some real shit planned, so stay tuned if you want.**

* * *

 **That Which Remains**

 **Chapter 2**

* * *

Meeting an archangel was an honour, or so Naruto was told. He knew very little about the angelic pantheon, but considering what they represented, they had the highest chance of helping with his 'curse' situation.

"The best healers we have here in the Vatican were incapable of even understanding your curse. This is your final shot." Dulio whispered as the duo began the long climb towards the inner sanctum. The second tier of the Vatican was a creation meant to house the angels when they did descend to earth. The average man was unable to even see the towering structures that stood over the holy nation.

The fact that Naruto was capable of seeing them outright was quite alarming for the clergy.

"It isn't something inside my body, or I'd know." Naruto provided his two cents. Kurama or no Kurama, his body had a propensity for survival. None but the strongest of opponents had ever left more than a mark on his battle-worn body. It couldn't be a seal either because it didn't affect his chakra-moulding in any manner. It had to be something foreign, but what?

"Any fool could tell you that, Naruto. Most curses that inhabit the body are easy to detect and purge. Curses of the soul – on the other hand – are both complex and generally fatal." Dulio stated, crossing his hands over his chest. "The facts that you're still alive and that your soul hasn't been perverted are enough to throw that line of questioning out."

Naruto shook his head. "It couldn't be my sword, could it?" He asked. Dulio was silent for a moment – possibly lost in rumination – before speaking.

"Can't be. I felt the power in that blade. While it has a very otherworldly feel to it, it is far too powerful to be cursed. All holy swords are like that." He finished with a shake of his head. How could you curse something so… pure? What would the curse latch on to? A church healer had already explained that curses latched on to darkness, every tiny smidge they could find. No human was safe from a curse.

After all, even the purest of humans held some amount of darkness in their hearts.

"So, it has to be something else," Naruto whispered. There was no other lead, after all. Apparently, this 'Archangel' person would have answers… possibly.

"Yes, and my lord will help you, he would never turn away someone in need," Dulio answered, and the smile of complete faith on his face almost made Naruto believe his words for a second. The hope Dulio's smile invoked inside of Naruto was snuffed out when he remembered how society in this world worked. Why would someone want to help someone with nothing to offer? His time with Rias, his time with the humans of Japan served to reinforce that fact.

He had a lot to offer, and Dulio's seniors had to know that.

They reached the door of the inner sanctum after a ten-minute climb. After the initial conversation, the duo had devolved into a peaceful silence. That changed as the large, iron doors of the sanctum were pushed open by the blonde exorcist and Naruto's perception of the people that inhabited this place was changed.

Their wings definitely helped.

Two creature stood in the giant sanctum, but their massive presences made it feel so much smaller. The creatures radiated power, status and… kindness. They were quite unlike anything he was used to. The only creatures he knew that held such power were the tailed beasts, and they felt nowhere near this benevolent. They were downright crazy if Shukaku was any indication. The fact that these creatures held such power, but radiated such humility, left Naruto on edge.

Benevolence was an emotion that rarely existed without a backing reason.

"He's already on guard, it is so painfully easy to see." The angel with ten wings spoke up. The wings had to be ornamental, considering they couldn't possibly hold him up, especially because they were covered in sheets of silver armour. His body was much the same, with his entire body coated in metal plates. His mask was ornate, too well-made to be of human make. Naruto could count over a hundred minute but functional partitions of the mask, moulded to the angel's very skin. That mask hid nothing because the angel's inhumanely handsome features were clear to see. A face that screamed perfection, topped off by his mid-partitioned sandy-blonde hair.

A face set in a disappointed frown.

"Come now, Metatron. He's accustomed to living in the darkness. You know what happens when you introduce a sewer-rat to a torch. We should be glad that he isn't simply trying to run!" The other angel commented. This one was definitely the archangel Dulio spoke about. The exorcist's gaze hadn't left him for even a second; such was his devotion.

Compared to his companion, this archangel was simpler. He had long, blonde hair, wore regal attire and had twelve golden wings. Sure, his face was much more effeminate than his companion's, but his regal, deep voice left little doubts about his gender. The only thing that stood out about this angel was his aura, and what an aura it was. This angel was a leader. To inspire loyalty and solidarity by merely existing… it was a power that had no equal.

It wasn't the power that startled Naruto, neither was it the way it manifested in these… individuals. It was the barely-restrained kindness that seemed to make up their souls that did. For once, Naruto knew that maybe – just maybe – he could put his trust in someone else except himself.

"I have brought him, as promised, Lord Michael!" Dulio kneeled. Naruto made to follow, but Michael was already trying to get Dulio to stand back up, a worried frown on his face.

"I've told you repeatedly, Dulio. There is no need for you to bow to us. We are lords in name only. As long as you and I serve the same god, we are all equals." He spoke and meant each and every one of his words. So drawn in was Naruto by his endless stream of charisma that he didn't even notice as the metal-clad angel closed in on him.

"You… you've killed almost all your life, haven't you?" Metatron posed it as a question, though it was more of a statement if anything. One look into the Angel's glass-covered, shining green eyes and Naruto could tell that the angel read him like a book. "Your name isn't in my book, you have experiences and powers that defy our understanding, and you carry _that_ blade. Who are you exactly?"

"N-Naruto Uzukami, your angelship!" Naruto stammered, involuntarily recoiling at the angel's closeness. Seeing the reaction brought a sly smile to the angel's face. Delicate plates of metal shifted to allow the smile to show through his iron mask.

"See how he recoils to nary but a touch. The kid's pure, even though he has done much to prove otherwise." Metatron spoke. Michael nodded in response, his benevolent smile ever-present on his divine face. "Even though he's been defiled by a devil, almost no darkness clings to him. You were right, he's an anomaly, brother." The armoured angel finished, earning a nod from Michael.

"The fact that he's persevered, even with all the things that have happened to him, proves that his purity cannot be blemished. If the devils couldn't pervert his soul, nothing will." Michael commented, taking a few seconds to survey Naruto. "As for your curse, I cannot tell where it is from, but I can tell that it is pretty much harmless. I feel it trying to get a grip on me, but my power prevents it. There's nothing malicious about it."

Naruto shook his head. "I worked in an orphanage for a while, I know that it isn't harmful. What it is, is irritating. Imagine people forgetting your entire existence if they don't see you for a day. Really disrupts business." Naruto tried to be snarky, but the slight sliver of pain in his tone definitely didn't go unnoticed. It also didn't help that Metatron could read him like a book.

"It troubles him more than he believes it should. For someone who hunts from the darkness, he loves the light of others. He's a strange one." The armoured angel concluded his analysis, grunting in irritation. "The curse that plagues him, sadly, is not something even I can detect. Though I can tell you its limitations, considering how it is interacting with my own soul."

"Any knowledge would be good. I'm kinda grasping at straws." Naruto spoke, not even trying to hide the grimace on his face.

"Before we begin, Naruto Uzumaki, I need you to answer this; do you trust me?" Metatron asked. Naruto was silent for a moment, wondering where this question came from. The answer was simple, he didn't. Shinobi life has taught him to second-guess everything, and Rias' betrayal had just made his paranoia grow. He couldn't tell Metatron that, though. In front of him stood a paragon of truth, integrity and kindness. His inner voice begged him to believe in the cast-iron archangel…

…so he took the plunge. He nodded.

"Good. I have a theory I wish to test." Metatron spoke, putting a hand on Naruto's shoulder. A circle of light appeared around the two, and in a blink, they were gone.

"Lord Michael, you know how much Lord Metatron hates humans. Is it truly safe to leave him alone with Naruto?" Dulio asked, visibly concerned about his newfound friend and saviour. Michael simply laughed, a sound too divine to be of this world.

"Dulio, my child, do you know why Metatron holds hatred for humanity?" He asked, and Dulio shook his head in response. "He was once a human himself, the purest human one could find. Even though he lost everything he loved, he remained steadfast in his devotion. God judged him, and found him worthy. He became God's right hand." Michael was silent for a second as if trying to remember something painful. "When father died, the humans could have saved him. When he fell after his great ordeal, he was brought to a simple church near the field of battle, carried by Metatron. What do you think the humans did?" Dulio was silent, so Michael continued.

"They refused him entry. He carried father's bloodied, battered body to one of his houses of prayer, and they denied him entry. They believed him to be a devil, trying to deceive them. His injuries didn't help his case either." Michael took a rattling breath, paused, then forged ahead. "Father died outside the church, and the same day, Metatron relinquished the title of Archangel. He ripped out two of his twelve wings and used them to curse all of humanity. Since then, your entire race has carried a dark taint, and Metatron has worn that mask to hide his shame."

Both master and pupil were silent for a good while, Dulio, trying to commit the story to memory, and Michael trying his best to forget. When the silence broke, it was by the act of the Archangel.

"In Naruto, Metatron sees a bit of himself. A pure human, betrayed by someone he gave his entire being to. In Naruto, he sees salvation." Michael spoke, solemnly and slowly. Dulio's eyes widened in shock. If Metatron was taking an interest in Naruto, that could mean only one thing. Before he could even ask, Michael answered him.

"It wouldn't surprise me if he sees young Naruto like I see you, or sister Gabriel sees Griselda. To Metatron, Naruto may be his champion." He finished, his serene smile returning to his face.

"If the devils hold up their deal, we might have a new trio of archangels to carry on our own legacies."

* * *

"Why have you brought me here?"

Naruto stood in front of the orphanage he was working at. He gave up on his simple day-job the moment he'd decided to save Dulio and Griselda. He'd been away from the place for over three days now, and Metatron knew very well how Naruto's curse worked.

So why – in the name of all that's holy – had the angel brought him here.

"I need you to go in there, talk to them. I have a theory; I need you to prove me right." Metatron's insistence on not providing straightforward answers wasn't helping either. Naruto had half a mind of fighting the angel right now. He knew full well that a battle like that could go either way, considering he didn't know the extent of the angel's power. Sadly, he'd already told the angel that he trusted him.

He'd have to see this through, else he'd be breaking his word.

"I don't know what you're playing at, Metatron, but this isn't going to go well." He answered. The angel gave him an amused smile, but maintained his silence. Being denied a response, Naruto walked over the orphanage's door, unlocking it with the extra key he always kept on himself. He walked past the playroom, remarking on how clean it was, even though he hadn't been around for three days to clean up. The cook was too lazy to do it, so who'd cleaned the place?

"Naru-san? Is that you?"

Naruto's heart stopped in his chest. He turned around to see one of the kids, Mika, walk out of the dorms, trying to rub the sleep out of her eyes. Naruto knew her better than some of the younger kids, but that didn't explain one thing.

How was the kid able to remember him?

"Yeah, it's me, kiddo. You're up late, waiting for me to return?" He asked, trying to make light of the situation. He thanked his lucky stars that no one else had woken up as he walked in, else this situation would be much harder to explain. It was then that he realized that something was wrong. The playroom was clean, no one was up, even though he hadn't been here to put them to sleep, and finally, there was the little problem of him not sensing any of them.

They simply weren't there.

Trying his best not to freak out, Naruto turned to his only available source of answers. "Hey, Mika… where are all the other kiddos?" he asked, scanning the area. The kid looked at him funny, trying to ascertain whether he was joking or actually serious. The frantic quality that Naruto's actions were showing seemed much too exaggerated to her, so she took it as a joke.

"You're being weird, Naru-san! You sent mask-face sensei to get them adopted! They were all gone within a day! I'm the only one left, and even I'll be gone tomorrow!" She answered. The smile on her face served to show just how thankful she was. Naruto, meanwhile, did not know how to respond. He didn't have to.

"Ah, little Mika. I see you've been holding down the fort while Naruto's been gone." Metatron spoke as he walked into the room. His appearance had changed. His wings were gone. The overdone armour was gone too. His ten wings were nowhere to be seen, and his aura lacked the weight of its power. The only things that remained of the original Metatron were his mask and his kind aura. Made sense why the kids would believe him at face value.

"Well, you asked me to do it! I'm a big girl! I can do work too!" Mika struck a triumphant pose, right hand in the air, feet spread. It got a chuckle out of Metatron, but Naruto's face didn't budge from the featureless expression it had settled into. He wanted answers. He wanted them badly.

He wanted them now.

"The church took express measures to relocate the kids here. We knew that you'd be missing for a while from the very moment you showed up at the fight. We've been keeping an eye on you ever since you showed up here, you know?" The way Metatron worded it made it sound like Naruto had merely gotten into a roadside scuffle. Mika caught on instantly.

"Naru-san has been fighting? That's bad! You always tell us not to fight!" her petulant cries were almost ignored by Naruto. His gaze threatened to bore holes into Metatron's shiny metal face, but one look at the angel was enough to tell him that he'd get his answers later. Still, it didn't stop him from trying to kill the angel through the sheer force of directed anger. If the Uchihas could do it, why couldn't he?

"Oh no no, Mika. Naruto saved someone else from a fight! You should be proud of him." Anger aside, Naruto had to agree that Metatron would be a great father. He guessed it was part-and-parcel of being an angel, considering they were the very representation of all things good. It still stung a bit, how Metatron had a better handle on kids than him; kids that he'd helped raise for almost a year.

"That's our Naru-san! Always ready to help!" Mika smiled. Metatron smiled. Naruto smiled. Then, Naruto remembered that Metatron had pretty much shipped off his entire group of wards to parts unknown. The smiles fell almost immediately after.

"Mika, you should sleep. I need to talk to mask-face sensei for a while." The smile he gave her was a very convincing fake, it got her to obey, after all. Mika nodded and bumbled off to the dormitory. What she left behind was a stare-off for the ages.

"If I find that _any_ of the kids here have been harmed, you _will_ know my fury, Archangel or not," Naruto whispered. He let his chakra flare around him, subconsciously letting it mix with the decidedly human energy of the holy sword he held inside his soul. Unfazed by Naruto's show of power, Metatron simply offered him a scroll. Momentarily surprised by the action, Naruto let his aura drop, taking the proffered scroll.

"In there, you shall find a list of the families that have adopted your wards. They're all well-settled families that have been unable to conceive children of their own. They are pure souls, just like your wards." There was kindness in Metatron's gaze, and a certain measure of guilt as well.

"I wouldn't wish a bad life on either, the children or their now-parents."

Naruto closely examined each name on the scroll. There was no way he could tell who these people were. Sure, they had vaguely Christian-sounding names from around the world, but that meant nothing to him. What did surprise him was the symbol on the bottom of the scroll. A spiked halo with a spear bifurcating it.

"If you're confused by the logo, you might want to look at the back of your hand."

Naruto did as he was bid, and was surprised to find the same logo etched into the back of his right hand. Before he could demand an answer, Metatron was already providing it.

"That is my personal sigil. The scroll you carry is not your property. If any of your wards are ever in the need of assistance, the sigil shall begin to glow…" On cue, Naruto's hand lit up. "…like so, when this happens, you can consult the scroll, and it will pinpoint which one of your wards is in trouble."

A bright light encompassed the two, as they were suddenly transported to someplace else. It was still night, and the houses had that Unmistakably-Japanese feel to them. Metatron beckoned Naruto to follow, and follow he did. The angel led Naruto to a window and beckoned him to observe. Beyond the window lay a small, cosy room with a small, cosy bed. On the bed lay Shu, one of the kids who had been adopted. Naught but a day ago.

He was sleeping like a baby, an angelic smile graced his face as he burrowed himself into the folds of a kid-sized blanket.

"The scroll doubles as a teleportation relic. Think of them, and you'll end up near them." Metatron finished, a benevolent smile gracing his metal-shrouded face.

"Why?" Was all Naruto asked. It was the only question he _could_ ask. Why would Metatron do so much for him? Why would he show so much kindness when he knew that he could have Naruto's servitude for much less? Why would he go so far for someone he had just met?

"Because this is what we are, Naruto. We are the legion of heaven, and it is our edict to be the champions of all that is good in this world." Metatron answered.

"And we can always use more hands, more minds, more people capable of protecting the Lord's peace."

Naruto looked up at Metatron. Would it be for the best for him to pledge his allegiance to this person? What would they gain from him? One who was destined to be forever forgotten.

"I'm not worth it. All I have ever done in my life is fight… kill."

"So have I. I could fill a sea with the blood of the wicked that I _personally_ have shed."

"I have failed to protect many whom I held dear."

"So have I, including my own father, and my dear brother."

"I have fought a goddess."

"I have fought gods."

There was the spark of understanding as their eyes met. They were both warriors, turned into something more through necessity. It was at that very moment that Naruto finally made up his mind.

"If you are this willing to have me, I shall serve."

Metatron nodded and offered Naruto a hand. Without hesitation, Naruto shook it.

"Welcome to our fold, Naruto. May you find your worth in our lord's garden.'

* * *

"So! You finally decided to become lord Metatron's champion, didn't you?"

Naruto grunted from his bed, which was – coincidentally – the top-bunk of Dulio's own bed. It baffled him that in the entirety of the Vatican complex, there wasn't a single room ready for new initiates. Sure, having taken up the position of Metatron's champion, he was already considered more important than the run-of-the-mill exorcist. The champions of archangels generally got their own rooms, but Metatron had never taken a champion in his life. Hence, there was no room for Naruto yet.

Which was why Michael acquiesced so easily to Dulio's proposal of putting a bunk-bed, an extra set of drawers, and Naruto in his room.

"Well, it was the best course of action, really. I have nowhere to go, nothing to do. Maybe some good will come out of all this."

"It definitely will!" Dulio's head popped up on the side of Naruto's bunk. With his hair open, he looked a lot more effeminate than normal. "I found purpose in Lord Michael, and in the young ones. You'll find yours too, I promise!"

Naruto grunted in affirmation. "Also, do you guys have a thing for long hair? Other than Metatron, I've not seen a single person of importance here with short hair."

Dulio rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, we exorcists have this unspoken rule. We only cut our hair when we suffer loss in battle. I gotta cut mine now, considering Mara wiped the floor with my butt."

"Do battles with no real ending truly count as a loss?"

Dulio nodded sheepishly, "Yeah, I mean, my ass would have been grass had you not decided to intervene."

Naruto grunted again. "I'd still consider that battle a victory, at least for you."

Dulio cocked an eyebrow. "Why so?"

"Because you fought a god and escaped with your life."

Dulio was silent for a good ten seconds. When he did speak, there was a tinge of curiosity in his tone. "Wait, you said it counted as a victory for 'me'. What about you?"

Naruto raised his head from his pillow, locking eyes with Dulio. "Mara and I could have gone much further. That brief battle was the most 'alive' I've felt in a long while now. Had you two not been there, the fight would have surely escalated."

Dulio's eyes widened. "Wait, are you seriously suggesting that you're open to the idea of fighting what is basically a god?"

Naruto shrugged. "Not exactly a god… but I like fighting strong opponents. I'm someone who believes that you can learn more about someone by clashing fists than by casual conversation."

Dulio was silent for a second. "Well, that just means you're going to be my training partner now!"

"That sounds… unnecessary. Not everyone thinks the same way I do, you know?"

Dulio shook his head. "That may be true, but I want to get to know you better! We're going to be working alongside each other, after all."

"All of us are, you know?"

The sound that came from the other side of the wall only shocked Naruto. Dulio, meanwhile, smiled. "I was wondering when you'd join in, Griselda. Also, yes. As champions of our respective lords, we are meant to be heaven's vanguards."

"Also, I want to face Uzumaki. I need to know what he has that I don't."

Naruto chuckled. "Well, considering I'm a dude, you know exactly what I have that you don't."

"… forget I said anything. Also, can you quiet down? You should get some sleep, especially Uzumaki."

"Why me especially?" Naruto asked, genuinely curious. Dulio's eyes gained a mischievous glint as he decided to heed Griselda's counsel and finally lay down on his bed.

"Oh, nothing particular. Let's just say that tomorrow is going to be a _very_ fun day for you."

* * *

"Wow, you are both _definitely_ not morning people."

The three champions stood in one of Vatican's training fields, or rather one of the few parts of the Vatican that had fallen into disrepair and repurposed to train exorcists for field duty.

"We're not machines; you know? We need sleep!" Dulio hissed, cranky even after having pretty much inhaled a mug of coffee mere minutes after waking up. Griselda herself was trying to act dignified. She was the oldest amongst the three, even if not by much, and keeping up appearances was her preferred way of keeping her trainees in check.

"You got a good seven hours of sleep, both of you," Naruto spoke, doing some light stretching to pass the time. They had been woken up by one of the attendants at five in the morning and told to assemble here for Naruto's 'appraisal'. What said even detailed was not something known to the blonde shinobi himself. The exorcists – on the other hand – had a knowing gleam in their eyes, though it was dulled by the lull of sleep-depravation.

"Seven hours too few…" Griselda commented, stifling a yawn.

"Sleep is a luxury for a warrior, Griselda. Have my teachings had that little an impact on you?"

Naruto tensed up as he heard the voice behind him, his companions did much the same. They turned to find a giant of a man standing right behind them. He had white hair, but not likely by birth. His wrinkles and scars told of a life of combat, and the fact that he had managed to sneak up on Naruto despite his enormous frame was enough to prove that he was definitely no pushover.

"Cardinal Strada, my apologies." Griselda bowed to the man, and the connection between Naruto's sword and the person standing in front of him was revealed. This was the man whom his sword was made to belong to.

"It's alright, Griselda. I understand they you're still recovering from your bout with that pest, Mara. I brought someone along to help with that." Strada spoke, and for the first time, the three young exorcists realized that Strada wasn't alone. Behind his massive legs stood a small, young girl.

"Asia, say hello!" Strada encouraged the young girl, putting a hand on her shoulder. The girl hesitantly and bowed.

"H-hello! My name is Asia Argento! I'm the wielder of Twilight Healing, it is nice to meet you!" The girl fidgeted with her dress as she stammered through her introduction. Seeing the opportunity, Dulio walked over to her and clasped her hands.

"Hello, Asia! I'm Dulio! The old one is Griselda and the grumpy one is Naruto! No need to be shy around us!" The sheer amicability displayed by Dulio reminded Naruto too much of how he used to be before his 'death'.

It felt nauseating.

"Asia will tend to your wounds, Griselda, Dulio." Strada spoke, giving Asia the permission to proceed with her job. "I've seen fit to keep her around for our training sessions."

Dulio laughed nervously. "That just means you're going to push us harder, aren't you?"

"I need to... so that something like _this_ doesn't happen again."

The grief on Strada's face was plain to see. It was similar to the look his superiors gave him back when he got into trouble with foes stronger than him. Worlds may have changed, but teachers and their feelings were the same, no matter where he went.

"As for you, Naruto Uzumaki. I am Vasco Strada. I tutor the champions of our holy lords. I'm here to evaluate your combat potential today."

Naruto nodded, following Strada as he started to walk away from the others. As they walked, the silence was broken by the ageing exorcist.

"I must thank you for intervening when you did. While those children have potential, they're not ready to face beings on the top of the food chain yet." The line itself was loaded with meaning. It wasn't a mere show of gratitude, the tone being too inquisitive for that. Naruto's guess was that Strada wanted to know exactly how he had managed to fight Mara to a standstill.

"I'm not even sure I would have been able to fight a god, even in my prime."

Naruto scowled. "You suspect foul play, do you?"

Strada shook his head. "No, I've been informed about your… circumstances by lord Michael. You wield a weapon which has my name on it, but I have no recollection of it. May I see it?"

Naruto nodded, withdrawing STRADA from his soul. Vasco took a good look at his namesake blade and then grunted.

"If they made a weapon like that for me, I wonder if they wanted me to die using it."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Die using it? I don't comprehend."

"That sword is _wrong_. The swords Caliburn and Durandal are both represented in that weapon, that too in equal measure. No mortal should be able to wield it… yet here you stand." Strada finished, allowing Naruto to dematerialize the blade.

"And yet here you stand indeed."

Naruto chuckled. "You might want to start with your 'appraisal'. You won't remember me by the time the day ends."

Strada cracked a wry grin, then pointed to a metal clasp on his cloak. "I wouldn't count on that. All exorcist seals are made to ward off curses. No one in the Vatican save the clergy is likely to ever forget you." Strada slowly moved into a combat stance – a kind unknown to Naruto.

"Plus, I'm expecting you to leave something of an impact on me. Heard that counters your curse pretty effectively."

Naruto grinned. He liked this man. He was a jaded warrior, much like his teachers in the elemental nations. "Hand-to-hand against a shinobi? If I didn't know better, I'd say you really like the taste of loss."

"Oh, don't worry about me not being a challenge, young Naruto."

Naruto's eyes widened as he quickly moved his head out of the way of Strada's incoming fist. The attack had been so sudden that he barely dodged it. He still got clipped by the exorcist's knuckles with enough force to cut his cheek open. The shockwave created by the punch, meanwhile, was the real kicker, as one of the ruins right behind Naruto was blown to smithereens.

"Still think I have a death wish?"

Naruto replied by lodging a chakra-infused foot in the exorcist's gut, sending him flying through another ruined building.

"Well, at least you're making this fun."

Meanwhile, a completely healed Griselda deadpanned as she heard the sound of multiple crashing buildings in the distance.

"We're going to need a new training field…"

* * *

"Wow, that's one useful ability you have there, Asia!"

The blonde priest laughed. "It's god's gift to me. So I do with it what I can, Lord Strada."

Vasco grinned, giving his arm a few waves. "As good as new. Good job, Asia. I was right in bringing you here."

Asia looked up at Naruto, who was quite baffled by the process he was seeing. This 'Twilight Healing' simply took out all the complexity from medic Jutsus. That, and it was both much faster and much more effective too. Such was the power of these 'sacred gears', weapons that defied the very laws of the world.

"Lord Naruto, do you wish for me to tend to your wounds too?"

Naruto was brought out of his ruminations by Asia's words. He looked down into her expectant eyes and gave her a genuine smile. He shook his head, wiping off the smear of blood on his cheek and revealing the lack of injury underneath.

"I heal fast."

Vasco cocked an eyebrow. "You're full of surprises, ain't ya, kid? I'd question whether you are human if I didn't know better."

Naruto grinned. "I don't need to be anything else to kick your ass again, old timer."

Vasco laughed, a loud, booming laugh. "Keep that attitude up, kid. You're going to be crossing blades with me soon enough, and from what I've seen today, I can say with utmost certainty that you are no swordsman."

Naruto grunted. "So, that was your appraisal of me? I'm honestly disappointed."

Strada shook his head as he got up and started to walk off, motioning for Naruto to follow. "Your appraisal isn't over, kid. Sure, I know you can throw one hell of a punch, but to truly make it as an archangel's champion, there's one more thing you need to be able to do."

"And what would that be?"

Vasco kept walking as he talked, scaring the clergymen passing by with the state of his clothing… or lack thereof. "Each champion is the head of a military order of the church. As Lord Raphael's champion, I lead the Order of the Holy Sepulchre. As Lord Metatron's champion, you will have an order report to you as well."

Naruto frowned. "According to Dulio, Metatron's never taken a champion before. Going by that logic, has this order never had a leader?"

Vasco sighed. "Not… exactly. The order you're meant to lead was created by the Church in the middle ages. It had a leader back then, but the order was much too useful to be governed by someone who didn't have direct ties to the heavenly pantheon. The leader's seat's been empty since he was removed."

Naruto grimaced. "Pretty sure the people in charge aren't going to appreciate suddenly gaining a teenager as a leader."

Vasco shook his head. "The rite of leadership for this order is a simple one. Hard, but simple. To lead them, you have to be Metatron's champion, and claim their holy relic."

"Holy relic?"

Vasco took a sharp right through an alley, Naruto followed. "Each order has a holy symbol linked to them. The leader of the Templars is supposed to wield the Excalibur. That isn't a possibility, so Michael's champion has to lead them. The Knights Hospitaller follow the wielder of Rhongominiad, which has been lost since Camelot fell. Hence, they are led by Gabriel's champion."

"So, the relic of this order is lost too, is it?"

"Quite the opposite, actually," Vasco answered, pressing a brick in a normal-looking wall, which then slowly started to retreat into the ground. "We have full possession of the weapon you're _supposed_ to claim."

"Whether you can claim it or not? That, kid, is your test."

* * *

Naruto had gotten a rudimentary lesson about the layout of the Vatican by Dulio back when he'd first arrived to the city. Like many medieval constructions, a lot of the city's dead now lay in crypts below. It was this gigantic crypt-complex that Naruto now found himself being led through.

"King Arthur was known for wielding three great weapons. Excalibur needs no introduction. Rhongominiad was less known, but still much coveted by humans. The third – on the other hand – was a weapon that most didn't see fit for a king. Do you know what it is?" Vasco asked, but Naruto was too pre-occupied by the flickering, well-concealed presences he felt around the two of them.

"Of course you don't. The knife, Carnewennan, was the third blade of Arthur. He once used it to slay a great witch, and once to slay a giant. It might not have the pure destructive power of the other weapons, but it is a formidable tool in the right hands." He finished, stopping in his tracks.

"Let me guess, that knife is hidden somewhere in this crypt, is it now?" Naruto asked, not at the least intimidated by the long, winding crypt that lay ahead.

"The order you are to lead has taken great pains to hide the dagger in the crypt. Holy weapons have this tendency to call to people of power. Carnewennan is no exception."

Naruto nodded. "So, that knife is the reason I'm feeling this _compulsion_ to delve further into this crypt?"

Vasco raised an eyebrow. "Feel it already, do you? Well, colour me impressed. Sadly, it isn't as easy as just walking into the crypts. The order will not serve someone greater than the sum of their parts, hence they will try their best to impede your progress through the crypts."

"By trying to violently end my life, I presume?" Naruto commented, remarking on the thinly-veiled bloodlust he felt scattered throughout the crypt.

"It's heartening to see that you catch on so quickly. Now, you may begin anytime you want."

Naruto answered by putting his hands together and creating a dozen or so clones, which all shot off in different directions, the original included. Left alone, Strada let a laugh escape his throat.

"Those damn assassins have no idea what's coming for them. I can only hope he takes it a bit easy."

* * *

"Another dead end, damn."

Naruto surveyed the pile of knocked-out exorcists he had left behind. He had to give them props for setting up defences even in dead-ends. Naruto's original plan was to follow their signatures to his destination. They had been smart enough to not make it so easy for him. With his clones surveying the expanse of Vatican's Necropolis, it was only a matter of time till one of them hit the proverbial mother-load.

And within seconds, one of them did.

The clone didn't disperse on its own either. Unlike the others, this one had run into opponents a calibre above the general riff-raff. The clone had nary but thrown a punch before it was peppered with holy bullets. Five combatants, significantly better prepared, significantly more skilled, and guarding something significantly more important than a mere dead end.

His feet were already moving by the time the directions registered in his mind. Three lefts, a staircase and a right later, he was standing right outside the room in which his clone met his untimely demise.

He didn't even get a second to catch his breath as the sound of automatic gunfire ripped through the silence of the crypt. Not one to repeat mistakes, Naruto dodged, only to be faced by three masked assailants, each armed with a sword crackling with holy energy.

Wasting no time, Naruto summoned his own blade, blue energy pre-charged into the transparent blade. The exorcists swung their weapons, but he was faster, hewing through their own blades like a knife through butter. He brought the blade back, letting the energy disperse, the flat of the blade swinging through.

Only to be stopped as a giant of a man moved out of an alcove behind him, Great-lance in hand.

It was only thanks to Naruto's superior awareness and practice with the Kawarimi that he was able to substitute himself with the mid-section of a nearby pillar. No man that huge could have that small a presence. The exorcists surrounding him were equally confused by how he had reacted to such an unwinnable situation.

"That was cheeky, I'll say," Naruto commented, finally seeing all five of his assailants. "Let me guess, you're the best this order has to offer, aren't you?"

His opponents did not speak, giving him a polite nod instead, together. The eerie synchronization of their actions aside, the four were extremely well-trained. Sure, they weren't Vasco Strada, but they were good and used to each other's techniques; if the lack of communication during their extremely well-executed attack was any indication.

"I'm pretty sure none of you likes my presence here. I know that suddenly gaining a new leader can be distasteful." Again, his response was a nod, so he continued. "As such, would I be right to presume that like others in the Vatican, you'll only bow to people with great power?"

The third nod was the answer he was hoping for, and he got it posthaste.

"Well then, I'm going to make my strength amply known," Naruto spoke, allowing STRADA to fade back into his soul, replacing it with a kunai. "I'm going to beat you, all five of you, and I expect that to be enough reason for you to not cause any trouble while I'm in charge. Got it?"

He was answered by his assailants disappearing from his view again, including the giant of a man. Whoever taught these guys how to hide their presence did a pretty good job, but not good enough. Any ninja worth his or her salt could completely remove killing intent in order to blend in. These exorcists? Well, they could not.

Naruto couldn't help but capitalize on that.

"Well, school's in session, underlings, and here's your first lesson."

He flung his kunai to the right, into a shaded alcove behind a marble casket. He was rewarded with a feminine yelp and the clattering of a weapon. Before the exorcist could reclaim her gun, it was already crushed under Naruto's foot. The exorcist looked up just in time to catch Naruto's smirk before his foot lodged itself in her gut.

"If you hide in a place where you have vision of your opponent, he'll always expect it."

The exorcist went sailing into a wall and didn't stop there. Naruto gave her prone form one last look, just to gauge if he went too hard on her. A few broken bones, but she'd live. Now, he knew how much to hold back.

"Lesson two," Naruto spoke as he dodged a sneak attack from one of the swordsmen. He pirouetted towards the left, expecting the other two swordsmen to attack as well. Only one did and did so while letting out a throaty yell.

Neither attacks connected.

"As much as I like yelling out my moves too, it really isn't recommended as you fight."

Naruto caught each exorcist's face with the palm of his hand and twisted his waist downwards. The exorcists had no option but to kiss the crypt's floor hard enough to break right through. That made the score three-zero.

"Your lessons are stupid."

The bitter, feminine voice was all the warning Naruto got before the final sword-wielding shot out of her hiding space faster than he expected.

"As much as I respect your strength, I have to concur."

The lance-wielding, armoured giant was – somehow – behind him yet again. Whatever his ability was, it completely erased his presence. Sadly, it was all useless if the gap between his re-appearance and his attack landing was this long.

"They may sound stupid, but trust me, they'll save your lives." Naruto retorted as he blocked each attack with a Kunai. The Greatlance was deflected easily enough, but the sword cut through the Kunai, albeit slowing its swing enough to allow Naruto to escape its edge with a millimetre of margin.

"Lessons tend to become rather redundant when one is faced with creatures of such power." The girl snarled as she swung again. Once again, the giant was behind Naruto before he could distance himself.

It was annoying.

The Lance struck again, but this time, it was caught by Naruto's hand. The sword struck out on the other side, only to meet the heavy plate mail of the giant man, who had inexplicably been flung into the way by Naruto. The momentum of the throw delivered both the exorcists into the dirt, and before they could regain their bearings, Naruto jumped on top of the pile made of their bodies.

He was pretty sure he broke something… a lot of 'something'…

"So, now that you're all dealt with, I can take the knife." He spoke, walking towards the back of the room. The knife was here if the persistent buzz in his head was anything to go by. He looked at the back of the room and was greeted by a solid wall, possibly separating him from the knife. So he did what any self-respecting warrior would.

Punched right through the wall.

When the dust settled, he feasted his eyes with the visage of a… rather plain looking knife. It was around ten inches long and had a simple, wooden handle. The blade itself was simple, except for some runes etched into it. He held his hand over it expectantly before swooping in and grabbing it. Then, he waited.

Nothing happened.

"Well, that's a bummer. I was expecting something cool to happen, like back when I got STRADA." Naruto grumbled as he re-entered the room where the exorcists were finally trying to come together and muster some sort of elegance.

"The fact that… you're holding it… is enough." The female with the holy sword commented, extricating herself from below the heavily-armoured exorcist, who was knocked cleanly out.

"Yeah, the last one who tried to claim it was vaporized by the knife's power on the spot. Try to return it to your soul, you'll see that the knife's accepted you."

Naruto looked at the source of the voice and beheld the gun-wielding exorcist carrying her two unconscious swords-fellows towards the armoured giant. Naruto did as she asked, and just as STRADA was capable of doing, Carnewennan disappeared from the material world, taking its's place in his soul. The buzzing in his mind stopped as well, thankfully.

"Man, you hit hard. I'm not going to be able to do missions for a good month." The swordswoman again. She sat down on the ground, and her sword disappeared just like Naruto's holy weapons. "As the new boss, you'll have to pick up on our slack."

Naruto grinned. "Well, I know a blond slip-of-a-girl who could help with that. I'm gonna take you to meet the wielder of Twilight Healing."

The girl took off her mask, revealing a pretty, distinctly European face that went well with her brown hair and eyes. "Well, I'm the first blade, Rifi de Valeria, owner of the Joyeuse. The big oaf over there is Kellam Kristos, second blade and wielder of the sacred gear 'Vanishing Point'.

By the name and the giant's uncanny ability to disappear completely, Naruto could already guess what that particular Sacred gear did.

"I'm Rita Guiseppe, third blade, even though I prefer guns." The other girl answered, removing her mask to reveal a combination of white hair, pretty features and piercing red irises. "The two fools you deposited into the ground are Biggs and Wedge, they keep competing over the fourth and fifth blade spots, so we just call them by whichever, whenever."

Naruto nodded, "I'm Naruto Uzumaki, your new leader, I guess."

Rifi nodded. "Bladesage, that's what our leader is called, we've never had one before, though. So, on behalf of all the others, I formally welcome you to our order."

Naruto nodded. "Reminds me, no one's told me the name of this order yet."

Rifi smirked. "Well then, let me be the one to tell you just what you've gotten into, Bladesage."

"Welcome to _Officio Assassinorum_ , or as we are better known… the Assassins of the Church."

* * *

"First that sword, then Carnewennan. You've found quite a powerful piece, brother."

Metatron looked up from his book as Michael strolled over. He gave his brother a small smile and returned to his book. "I wouldn't expect any less from him. He is – after all – the same child you lost to the devils a little while ago."

Michael raised an eyebrow. "The same child? That one was killed by Lucifer's sibling. Plus, that _thing_ didn't cling to that boy."

Metatron grunted. "So, you _do_ remember what exactly Naruto's 'curse' is, do you not?"

Michael nodded. "It is one of the reasons why I took him in with such ease. If he loses control of it, the effects could be potentially world-ending."

Metatron shook his head. "No, I highly doubt that will ever be the case."

"Have you forgotten what the creature is capable of? Father tasked it to guard the abyss, the immaterial. It is the very polar opposite of trihexa."

Metatron sighed. "And unlike Trihexa, it has no malice. It is as empty as the realm it guards."

Michael shrugged. "The abyss moulds itself to its recipients. It reflects both the best and the worst of he who wields it, and Naruto Uzumaki is a man who has been through much pain. I'm afraid of what will happen if his emotions go unchecked."

Metatron nodded. "He is a good kid. He has seen plenty of hardships in life and is all the better for it. Plus, it would be better to have him on our side. Or would you prefer to fight someone who can go fist-for-fist against a god?"

Michael shook his head. "To dismiss my concerns with logic with such ease, you truly haven't changed one bit since father died, have you?"

"I learnt from it, I learnt to think like he did. I learnt to see good where I could, and I learnt to let go of most of my misconceptions." Metatron countered, closing his books. "You've learnt too, you learnt how to manage people off the plains of war. You learnt to be a beacon of hope, of growth and purity. We've all changed brother."

Michael nodded. "It is as you say, as always."

Metatron replaced the book on a shelf and locked his gaze with Michael. "The fallen have their own dragon, the child that holds Albion. The boy who holds Ddraig lives in a devil hotbed, so we know they'll try their best to recruit him."

"So, why is it so bad for us to have a dragon of our own?"

* * *

 **That's all for now. I've got Easter holidays so my update schedule _should_ pick up. No promises though!**

 **-CruelRuin**


	3. Chapter 3

**This one's spent some time in the making.**

 **To be honest tho I was busy with another story I've been co-writing with someone. (It's named The Two-Step Goodbye and is up on Devilforce Fanfiction's FF page) There has also been Uni work that I've been taking care of plus I'm working on my first professionally published work. (More details in my next chapter.)**

 **Anyways, I'm just gonna leave this here. Have fun!**

* * *

 **That Which Remains**

 **Chapter 3**

* * *

Vatican City State, the world's smallest independent nation. It is a place of peace, of faith and tranquillity. The capital of the world's Christian faith was known to be a place of belonging and love.

Which is exactly why it would strike the unknowing outsider as odd to hear the sound of clashing metal ring out all over an older, derelict block of the city. Of course, outsiders didn't know about exorcists, about the hierarchy of the clergy, and about the super-powered assassin being given a lesson in swordplay.

Swords clashed again as two figures came into view. They both had blonde hair but had opposing genders. Naruto and Griselda, showing the world that clergymen could be as well-versed with their blades as they could with the scripture they would quote.

The combatants fought in complete silence, both acting and reacting with the skill and finesse of masters. It was definitely visible that they were complete opposites when it came to strengths. Naruto was speed and power, while Griselda was skill and tactics. As such, neither held an advantage. Fancy footwork and clashing swords led the dance between confrontations, neither combatants giving way.

In moments of such tension or such equality, the first to flinch would always lose. Sadly, Naruto was a saint without the patience of one. One year wasn't enough to change someone's entire life-outlook.

Griselda definitely was, though, and it showed through.

A rather awkward position gave Naruto what he saw as an advantage. Sadly, it was a feint. A perfectly-executed one at that. In a flash of steel, Naruto's sword was knocked out of his hand, and Griselda's blade returned to take its place beside Naruto's neck.

"If this was a real fight, you'd be missing your head now." Griselda teased, a triumphant grin on her face as she offered Naruto a hand.

"If this were a real fight, Gris, you'd be lying face-down in the debris of this training field." Naruto countered, taking her hand and letting her hoist him up to his feet.

Griselda shook her head. "That headstrong attitude's got to go, Naruto. I know you're powerful, but there are creatures out there just as powerful as you, if not more." She sheathed her sword as Naruto walked off to retrieve his own. "Fighting such creatures, it's your skill that will allow you to walk out with your head still attached to your shoulders."

Naruto picked up his blade, grimacing at its condition. He'd need a new training sword soon. Sheathing it, he gave Griselda a wry smile. "I prefer to surprise my opponents Gris. You know that." She did, of course. Her, him, and Dulio had spent every possible morning sparring against each other for the last year. As things currently stood, Naruto had the most victories amongst the three, even though he used his sword more like a club than with any sense of finesse.

The number of times he'd taken Dulio and her by surprise was quite astounding. Fighting him was like facing off against a new opponent every single time. It was refreshing, not that she'd ever admit that to him.

"Still, you wield two of the stronger holy weapons. It would be a disservice to their legacy if you used one like a cudgel and the other like a carving knife." Griselda countered, making Naruto scowl.

"You take that back! I use Carnewennan just fine. Plus, STRADA is effective no matter how I use it!" Naruto growled, making Griselda's smile take on a much more predatory appearance.

"What will you do if I don't huh?" She postured, crossing her arms.

"Well then, if you won't comply peacefully, I guess I'll just have to force you," Naruto responded, settling into an unarmed martial-arts stance.

Griselda lowered her stance too, shifting to a defensive stance with her right hand hovering over the hilt of her sword. If Naruto was forgoing weapons, things were going to get a lot more fun.

Despite being an exorcist, Griselda _liked_ fun.

"Sister! That was so cool!"

Both Naruto and Griselda were snapped out of their battle-trance by the two teens that ran into the training field. The ever-so-serious Xenovia and the cheerful-yet-deadly Irina. Naruto knew them, even though they both treated him with the kind of reverence reserved for those in positions of power.

Naruto didn't like it much, but he had to play along.

Griselda's dazed expression morphed into a gentle smile, one that she only ever showed to those who she genuinely cared for. It was by no means a small list, considering she treated all her underlings like family, but the smile was as genuine as they came.

"Xenovia, and Irina too. What brings you here?" She asked. Xenovia made a show of fiddling with her skirt as she faced her sister.

"I heard you had a mission today. I wanted to see you off on your mission myself." Xenovia murmured. Irina giggled, but shut up almost instantly when faced with Xenovia's glare. Griselda simply continued to smile.

"Your concern is appreciated, sister dearest. I will be departing in a few hours. I will send someone to retrieve you when I'm about to leave." She then motioned towards Naruto. "While I'm gone, my friend here will be overseeing your training."

Xenovia's face paled instantly and Irina's face followed suit shortly after. "T-the Bladesage will be tutoring us this week?"

Griselda nodded. "he can't use a sword to save his life, but you can learn much about combat from him." She pat Xenovia's head. "Don't worry, he won't bite."

Naruto scowled. "Oh but I do bite. You know that very well."

Griselda's smile gained a mocking quality. "Well that, biting lessons would make for an interesting lesson in alternative combat, would they not?"

Naruto shrugged. "There isn't anything more shocking than to bite someone in the middle of a fight to the death."

Griselda nodded. "Especially when you're the one doing the biting. Your opponents would have to fear death by rabies." While Naruto tried to make sense of her words, Griselda turned her attention to her ward and underling. "Be good while I'm gone, okay? And trust Naruto's teachings. He might talk like a brick head, but he _is_ the strongest exorcist. Now, I must freshen up and prepare to leave."

It wasn't until Griselda had left, leaving behind two very scared kids and a confused Naruto, that he realized two very important things.

One, Griselda had effectively pawned off the kids on Naruto.

And two, she had indirectly called him a rabid dog…

… and he couldn't say that she was completely incorrect either.

* * *

"You called me, Metatron?"

The Ironclad archangel turned to face Naruto. His form was just as impressive as ever. "Yes, Naruto. Take a seat." He spoke, and Naruto followed.

"Is this related to Dulio's mission?" He asked. Metatron nodded. Naruto leaned back in his chair, this was going to be a long talk.

"Do you know the particulars of this mission?" Metatron asked. Naruto shook his head. He had just missed Dulio by the time he returned to the Vatican from his last mission. Griselda had mentioned the mission in passing, but never elaborated what it entailed.

"One of our agents reported the presence of some heretics on the outer boundaries of France. We sent Dulio to investigate them" Naruto nodded along as Metatron continued. "he discovered that these heretics were part of an old, exiled church project. The 'Holy Sword Project' is what it was once called, though there was nothing holy about it."

Naruto hummed. "So, this group of exiles has set up outside France. Are they disruptive?" Naruto asked. Metatron shook his head.

"Disruptive they are not, at least for now." He answered. "They are numerous though. The project itself was never big, but it was divided into two factions. One aimed to create holy sword users and was a much smaller group." Naruto knew of this one, the bastards who'd resorted to child experimentation. The other one, he did not know of.

"The other faction was intent on replicating holy swords, mixing their properties." Metatron continued, and Naruto realized exactly why he'd been called in for this.

"They created STRADA, did they not?" He asked, and Metatron nodded solemnly.

"They were a much larger group, even had the support of some of the top-brass exorcists. Unlike the other part of the group, these individuals were never exiled." Metatron spoke, and Naruto raised an eyebrow in confusion. Yet, he knew better than to stop the angel, for the archangel who was God's voice never left a question unanswered.

"They escaped, with the weapon they created… or so we thought till you showed up with it." Metatron answered, clasping his hands together, metal joints closing in around each other.

"So, what do you want me to do?" Naruto asked.

"They have to be tried for multiple crimes, and justice must be swift," Metatron answered, locking eyes with Naruto, who had no plans to look away.

"Stealing from the church, desertion, and heresy. Anything else I should judge them for?" Naruto asked. Metatron was silent for a few seconds, thinking it over. Naruto had gotten used to these pauses. Metatron was an angel of stratagem and judgement. He would never act without being in the right.

It was an admirable characteristic for a creature meant to serve as a judge.

"There is the matter of the process by which STRADA was created. I wish for you to ask them, even though I have my suspicions." Metatron answered.

"May I hear these suspicions?" Naruto asked, knowing full-well that the answer would be a yes.

Metatron sighed. "Holy blades are holy because they are created or blessed by gods. They are the closest one can get to wielding a miracle in physical form." Metatron answered, and a pit of despair formed in Naruto's stomach. He knew very well where this was going and he was not going to like it.

"It seems you understand what I'm implying. You know what causes miracles, do you not?" Metatron asked.

"Yes…" Naruto gasped. He knew well enough that miracles were caused by the faith of humanity, given shape and will by a greater being. If millions of people wished for something, they could bring it to be with devout faith. It was what created gods, after all.

Either that or a few thousand people that shared the same belief dying.

There was a reason why most miracles occurred on the fields of battle. It would take a single magician of note to turn the determined, faith-fueled souls of the recently departed into a spell that defied fate itself.

The cost of miracles… was the very essence of humanity.

"Then it seems Griselda's lessons are not lost on you," Metatron spoke, resting a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "You know very well what is to be done here. You know what is at stake if they choose to repeat their mistakes."

"Doing it once could be considered a mistake, Metatron," Naruto answered, getting up from his seat. "If they truly used this method to create my weapon, I don't even want to think how many times they must have tried and failed before they succeeded."

Metatron nodded. "So, you know what you must do, yes?"

Naruto nodded and walked off, allowing a small smile to appear on Metatron's mask.

"Go forth, Bladesage. Be the clergy's judge, jury, and executioner."

* * *

"Man, I kind of envy your job, Naruto." Dulio commented as he leaned against a wall. "You get cute underlings while all I get are stuffy old dudes with a boner for 'divine retribution'."

Naruto grunted. "I wouldn't call either Rifi or Rita cute. You have no idea how they get when someone hits on them."

Dulio chuckled. "Well, that's just cause they ain't met a man like me."

"Keep dreaming, Dulio," Rita commented as she surveyed the heretic compound. It was far from a temporary situation considering they'd set up in an abandoned world war two military base. German, by the looks of it.

"The camp is ringed by invisibility wards, Bladesage," Rifi stated, walking up to the hillock they were using as an outpost of sorts. "I did not detect any alarms or traps. The mages they have are probably not very proficient."

Naruto nodded. "If Dulio's intel is correct, the entire group is comprised of low-level exorcists and research personnel. I'd be surprised if we had even a halfway-competent mage in their midst."

" _If_ Dulio's intel is correct, then yes." Rifi concurred. The exorcist in question pouted.

"I swear; I get no respect from you lot." He chided, crossing his arms. His expression then neutralized, allowing his professional persona to shine through. "As for the layout, it's simple. There's the garrison building on the outer perimeter and the research building which was once a command base. Both have one exit."

Naruto hummed. "So, whoever is in-charge must be in the research building, am I right." Dulio nodded. "Can you give me a name? A physical description maybe?"

Dulio sighed, then reached into his pocket and recovered his phone. He flipped the screen and Naruto was greeted by a photo of a black-haired man wearing priestly garb. He was probably around the age of fifty. What really got to Naruto was how _kindly_ he looked. If he was to run into this guy on the roads of Vatican, there was no way Naruto would brand him a heretic.

Never judge a man by his face, but by his deeds.

"His name is Argo Sheen. He's been running this gamut ever since they were officially sanctioned. He and Valper Galelei headed the two divisions for the Holy Sword Project." Dulio answered.

Naruto got up from the ground and stretched out. "Well then. Kellam and I will look for the leader of the perpetrators and pass judgement. I need you to stand at ready for my signal."

Rifi cocked an eyebrow. "Oh, we're getting the backup treatment? Are we now?"

Naruto nodded. "Depending on my judgement, you might eventually get to see some action."

Rita grunted from behind the scope of her rifle. "Well, either way, this base's got to go, right? Your judgement only decides whether we use lethal force or not."

Naruto nodded. "Kellam, let's go."

"As you wish, Bladesage." A voice rang out from behind Dulio, shocking him to his feet. Before he could speak, Kellam walked over to Naruto in his heavy plate-mail.

Naruto drew out Carnewennan from his soul. He gave one last look at his team and nodded. They nodded back, and suddenly, Naruto disappeared.

"Between Kellam's sacred gear and Carnewennan's removal of presence. I'm glad Naruto and Kellam aren't our enemies." Dulio pointed out, getting a terse nod from Rifi.

"Those who are hard to see make for good assassins," Rita spoke, using her UV scope to follow their movement into the base.

"Those who are impossible to see – on the other hand – make for the best."

* * *

Carnewennan was a lifesaver.

Naruto had never mastered any invisibility Jutsus during his time as a shinobi. Sure, he'd seen some in action, but they paled in comparison to Carnewennan's abilities.

'Total Vanish' and 'Mage masher', The ability to completely disappear and the ability to nullify all but the strongest magic. He'd read into the history of the weapon. King Arthur had used it to slay a powerful witch and a giant. Holding the weapon in his soul, he could very well believe the legends surrounding it.

It allowed him to pass through the entire facility without nary a fight. He didn't want to sentence these people to death before learning the truth behind their actions. Hence, he hunted for Argo.

The man was nowhere to be found.

He'd checked the man's private quarters; he'd checked the public rooms. He was currently descending into the laboratory section. The German bunker had more basement levels than it had above-ground floors, and all the basement levels were dedicated laboratories. They were all currently empty, though. There was no real evidence of anything heretical enough to warrant death.

It was then that he came to the final floor of the basement, three levels down. Unlike the rooms above it, this level was completely empty. The only thing that stood out was the flooring, which looked relatively new.

He swung Carnewennan in the air, checking for any traces of illusory magic. The blade cut through the air but dispelled nothing. Old-fashioned trickery, then?

Naruto tapped his foot on the floor, noting that the noise wasn't quite as solid as one could expect from a concrete floor. Of course, finding hidden alcoves was common wherever heretics dwelled. They could try to hide their workshops harder, but they were so confident that their hideouts would never be found that they barely took precautions.

Naruto couldn't complain, it made his job easier.

He searched around the perimeter of the room, looking for a trap-door of sorts. His efforts were rewarded when he found a small hatch leading down into a well-light room. He jumped down and found a wooden ladder on the bottom. Whoever was in here didn't want company.

In front of him sat a man who looked almost nothing like the photo Dulio had shown him. This wasn't the same kindly man Argo Sheen was supposed to be. This was a defeated man. His skin was wrinkled; his blonde hair was going white. There was a bald patch on his head, and his body looked far too frail to be healthy.

Yet, there was a smile on his face. A smile reserved only for the halberd that stood in front of him.

Calling it a holy weapon would be a stretch. It didn't have that sheer power or presence that Naruto had come from weapons like STRADA and Carnewennan. It was definitely greater than a normal weapon. Whatever it was, it was scarcely worth the adoration Argo was showering it with.

"Argo Sheen. I am Bladesage Naruto Uzumaki…" He spoke as he let Carnewennan subside into his soul. He brought forth STRADA, and it appeared in his right hand in a shower of blue sparks. "…leader of the _Officio Assassinorum_. I have been sent here to judge you."

Argo turned, his smile fading into a frown, then re-appearing full-force when his eyes glanced upon STRADA. "You carry that sword. I knew it. There is no spell that can destroy something so _sacred_."

Naruto nodded. "This sword is linked to your sentence. You and I know the processes through which a holy weapon is created. Your life depends on which one you used."

Argo scoffed. "An exorcist who would listen to those marked for execution? You church assassins sure are made of different stuff." Naruto was about to ask him to hurry up when he decided to continue. "You know of the history of Durandal, yes? The sword chose a new wielder when Vasco Strada was still in his prime. So, the church called us in to make him a new one."

Naruto nodded. He knew the sword was made for Strada, but how was the question. Thankfully, Argo was still providing answers.

"So, how hard do you think it is to collect prayers when you have the might of the church on your side?" He asked, taking out a copy of the Bible from within his robes. "Subtly change the passages of the holy book, pass it around to countries where the clergy doesn't know better. Within days, you can get millions of people to pray for the creation of anything. Gathering enough faith for a minor miracle like sword birth was no big feat." His gaze travelled back towards STRADA, his smile unwilling to leave his face. "Hence, that sword was born, imbued with the power of Durandal and the Magic of Caliburn."

Naruto sighed. Thankfully, things weren't bad enough to warrant their extermination. They'd have to be detained, taken to the Vatican and made to answer for their crimes. There would be an investigation to find the other members of the clergy who aided them in changing the holy text. There was one small point that still didn't make sense.

"If it is so, why did you leave the church?"

Argo's smile dropped instantly, not to return this time. He looked up at Naruto with rage in his eyes. "Do you know what kind of fear a miracle brings? It's the ultimate 'spell' of humanity. It had been mere minutes since the creation of that sword and we were assailed by a devil of great power. He used a spell to remove it from existence, a spell that – to this day – we believed had worked."

"That does not explain why you'd choose to leave. It serves more as a reason for the opposite." Naruto reasoned, and Argo shook his head.

"And tell them what? That we wasted years of their time and resources for nothing? You know better than anyone else that the clergy _never_ forgets." Argo sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"So we left before our failure was discovered." He finished, still unable to look away from STRADA.

Naruto grunted. "Yet, instead of living out the life you so painstakingly preserved, you're here… all of you." Naruto countered.

Argo chuckled. "I'm an old man, Bladesage. That sword was my _magnum opus_. It was supposed to be the culmination of my work. It was supposed to be something that would be attached to my name forever." He sighed. "My men followed me even after we ran from the church, yet many of them simply didn't believe the fact that I had truly created a blade that could rival one of legend."

"So I did what anyone in my position would, I set around to create a second."

Naruto's eyes widened, Argo continued. "The clergy was quick, though. They removed the majority of those edited bibles from circulation mere days after we deserted." He sighed. "Do you know why we set up here, of all places?"

Naruto shook his head. "Other than the fact that this place is easy to defend, I cannot see much reason why you wouldn't pledge yourself to another creature of power. After all, wouldn't they be interested in a weapon this powerful?"

Argo chuckled. "I'm a Catholic, born and bred. I love my faith. While my work takes precedence for me, I'm not going to throw away my faith for it. It's why my followers are faithful to me. None of us wants to be forgotten and none of us wants to forget what defines us."

Naruto was silent, the situation hit home. The question didn't change though.

"So, why here?"

Argo hummed. "This base was one of the Nazi research facilities during the Second World War. You probably do not know, but the Nazis tried pretty much everything they could to gain an upper hand in the war… including occult experimentation."

"They never got far, though." Argo continued. "The exorcists and made sure they didn't get far. They too had members of the clergy amongst them… scholars who knew how miracles were created. The Nazi's – sadly – were not much for slow processes, so guess which method of miracle creation they chose?"

Naruto didn't even need to answer.

"Imagine the strength of the faith of millions of people, dying to the unjust hands of a dictator with more prejudice than common sense," Argo spoke. "Sadly, it wasn't to be. Faith without an answer will always turn into despair, and that's what they got. Their miracle turned into a disaster, and the exorcists took care of the rest."

Argo sighed. "Of course, while thousands lost themselves to despair, hundreds of faithful still remained. Faith is like nuclear radiation; it stays even when every trace of life is long gone. So, we had our 'faith'. From there, all we needed was a simple enchantment, and my new masterpiece came into being."

Naruto rose an eyebrow. "Manipulating leftover faith… what would that do to the souls that remained?"

Argo gave Naruto a pained smile. "You already know the answer to that."

Naruto's fingers tightened around STRADA's grip. "Argo Sheen. Your actions reek of heresy, your actions prove that you have strayed too far from the light. You will meet your end by my hand."

Argo nodded and stood up. "You owe me nothing, Bladesage, but I would ask a favour of you nonetheless." He grabbed the halberd and held it in a defensive posture. "I'm no warrior, and I am not fit to wield this weapon, but I still wish to see how it holds up against my greatest work."

Naruto readied his blade to attack. "For your co-operation, I can offer you this."

Argo's grip tightened around his halberd. Naruto readied himself too.

He suddenly disappeared.

He appeared right next to Argo, STRADA lowered, blood flecking its edge.

Argo gasped once, feeling the pain that came with the deep cut that ran across his chest. His hands did not move in a futile attempt to stymie the bleeding. Instead, his hands clutched the Halberd closer.

"It… survived the impact…" He coughed up blood as he collapsed to his knees, cradling the halberd like a baby. "I felt… the hit… it survived."

"It did well, Argo. Now, it is time to say goodbye." Naruto whispered as he lifted STRADA for the killing blow. Argo didn't even look up. As the sword decapitated him in a swing too fast for his eyes to track.

Argo's body rolled sideways and the halberd came loose from his grip. As the halberd crashed, its blade hit the ground and cracked, exploding with a pathetic amount of energy. Once the explosion winded down, Naruto walked up to what was left of the weapon. There was a line running through the entirety of one side of the halberd, the side that Naruto had struck. Had Argo managed to turn the blade before he died, he would have seen that his work was all for nought.

As much of a heretic as Argo was, Naruto wouldn't have the ideal he worked his entire life to see realized be destroyed by his own greatest creation.

"Maybe this way, you'll know peace." Naruto murmured as blue energy coalesced around the form of his sword. He swung upwards, and the energy shot out, gouging through the floors above and flying clear into the night sky. It exploded, and there was light.

"There's your signal, let no one leave this place alive," Naruto whispered as the sounds of combat and panic filled the calm night.

He took one last look at Argo's body before he decided that he was done hunting for the night.

* * *

"So… that's what they did."

Naruto and Dulio nodded in sync. It had been a long night. Three hundred executions shared among five people. To some extent, Naruto felt envious of the others… of the ease they felt when following these orders.

Unlike in the elemental nations, where things were generally black or white, this world was all shades of grey. He often found himself considering the morality of his actions. But, as Dulio told him, their reason was just. Being in Metatron's presence made this claim much easier to believe.

"It's unfortunate," Metatron spoke, genuine regret in his voice. "Had he come to us, we could have mediated affairs between him and the clergy. In the end, it was his pride that led to this."

Naruto nodded. "I retrieved the weapon, though it's nothing more than a broken halberd at this point." He spoke, passing the instrument to Metatron. The archangel looked it over, before letting out a light chuckle.

"It's an imitation of my own halberd, Inaeron." He answered, summoning a very similar-looking weapon out of nothingness. "It might pale in comparison and be nought more than a perverted copy of father's work, but it shall find a place here in the Vatican."

Naruto bowed, "Kindly see to it that it does. This weapon was his way of proving his loyalty to the church, no matter what the method of creation may be."

Metatron was silent. "The path to hell is paved with good intention, Naruto. You'd do well to remember that." Both weapons disappeared in a vortex of light as the Archangel finally faced them again. "You've done well, both of you. Get some rest. You shall be summoned when a new mission requires your attention."

Dulio smiled. "Thanks, Lord Metatron! Now, I've got some sweets to deliver to the kids!" He all but dashed out of the room, leaving Naruto and Metatron behind.

"You look troubled, Naruto." Of course, it was pointless to hide something like this from Metatron. "Did this mission really shake your faith so much?"

Naruto sighed. "That… isn't the problem, Metatron." He began, taking a seat next to the archangel. "I knew that what Argo and his followers had done was unforgivable… yet seeing him with his creation, I could feel his pride. I could feel that he truly thought that this would make things right."

Metatron sighed. "What you met, Naruto, was a zealot. They're not as common these days, but back during the middle ages, you'd find cities full of them." He leaned forward in his chair, the wood creaking slightly beneath his armoured body. "Heretics are simple to deal with, so are sinners. Zealots – on the other hand – are weeds. More religions have been ruined by zealotry than any other reason."

Naruto shook his head. "Argo's faith was unwavering."

A dry chuckle escaped Metatron's throat. "Zealots never lose their faith, Naruto. They simply take their faith five steps beyond what is moral… beyond what some would consider _humane_."

Naruto was silent for a moment. When he spoke, there was a tinge of guilt lining his tone. "That's what gets me, Metatron. The power you provide to humanity is something that perverts more than aligns. Yet, you still give away the power of light freely."

Metatron nodded. "We do as our father decreed. He was ever an optimist, seeing only the best in others. His son was much the same."

Naruto grimaced. "We both know how that ended up."

Metatron nodded. "Sure. It ended on a bad note, but it set up a legacy. 'The man who died for the sins of others'. That kind of selflessness meant he would never be forgotten."

Naruto chuckled. "One only dies when he is forgotten. I get where you're going with this."

Metatron smiled. "Then you know why it is necessary that we do not let our tenets be forgotten, lest our religion itself dies."

Naruto sighed and got up from his seat. "You've given me much to think about, Metatron. I'll catch you later. He answered, before cutting open a portal to his room with STRADA."

As Naruto left, Michael made his presence known, walking out of seemingly nowhere. He strolled over and took the seat next to Metatron that Naruto had recently abdicated.

"He doubts our purpose, doesn't he?" Michael spoke, making himself comfortable in his seat. "I believe a year simply isn't enough to change how someone thinks, is it?"

Metatron shook his head. "Exorcists are generally indoctrinated as children. Naruto wasn't brought into the fold till he was a young adult. I like his outlook, there's kindness there."

Michael frowned. "There is also insubordination. There is no lack of strength either."

Metatron sighed. "He questions orders but has never disobeyed. Do I need to point out that he has never failed a mission, no matter how hard?"

Michael nodded. "Sure, kindness keeps a person from zealotry. But disobedience is the first step to heresy." Michael smiled. "In your own words, brother, 'the path to hell is paved with good intention.'"

Metatron scoffed. "I was once like that child too. Always doubt, never acceptance. It is the job of humanity to question."

Michael smiled, "Well then, maybe we can change that soon."

"Maybe we can if he accepts."

* * *

"And that's how you successfully counter a sacred gear!"

The wreckage of the training ground was slowly being reversed by the stasis wards around it. Slowly, because of the sheer amount of damage done. Dulio lay on the ground, bruised beyond belief, as Naruto stood over him with a smile, facing Xenovia and Irina.

"Umm, Lord Bladesage, are you sure Lord Dulio is okay?" Irina asked, forcing a pained chuckle out of Dulio.

"Ugh, I'm in pain, but when you train with Naruto, you get the smackdown." He shakily got to his feet using Naruto's leg as support.

"I'm not sure we're capable of causing such destruction, Lord Bladesage…" Xenovia whispered, truly shocked by the destructive power the two of them had showcased.

Naruto shook his head. "You wield the Durandal, Xenovia. Vasco and I have torn up this field much worse barehanded." Naruto pat her on the head, much to her annoyance. "Given some time and training, I'm sure you'll be tearing apart areas with just as much ease."

"Also, drop the 'Lord', it really pisses me off." Naruto finished as he walked back to Dulio, who looked like he was in significantly better shape now.

"…It would be a wonder if I lived up to the legacy of Vasco Strada." Xenovia mused. Naruto stopped mid-step and turned, walking back to her, shaking his head all along.

"Xenovia, that's a very defeatist attitude to have. You were chosen to wield that sword and given an Excalibur fragment to boot. You have skills that can make any kid your age feel woefully inadequate." Naruto chided. It seemed to have the opposite effect on Xenovia though.

"Yet here you are, two-or-so years my senior, yet you perform what the clergy considers 'suicide mission' with a hundred percent rate of success." Xenovia countered, her temper rising. "I'm not even certified to go on anything solo!"

Naruto exhaled, "Listen, Xenovia. There's a very big difference between our circumstances. I was forced to become better faster, and have skipped a lot of things you may consider elementary. You - on the other hand - have time. Use this peace to learn at your pace, let the old guard work to maintain it till you're old enough to take our place."

Xenovia deadpanned. "Naruto, we're going to get old around the same time, you do realize that right?"

Naruto grinned. "I was kidding, Xenovia. Though I was serious about you having time. Don't let the pressure get to you, keep practising."

Dulio nodded too. "Yeah, a year back, I could barely control Zenith Tempest! I can even go Balance Breaker now!"

Naruto grinned. "Not that it helps you much against me."

Dulio grinned right back. "That's cause I always hold back! Wouldn't want to injure you by mistake, would I?"

Naruto replied by lunging at Dulio. "Oh, you asked for this!"

"Bring it!" Dulio yelled as he charged in with his own fist drawn.

The two girls watched as the newly-started brawl started to spread over the recently-repaired training ground. Irina sighed. "This is the third time today… I'm glad we're not like them."

Xenovia couldn't agree more.

* * *

She was beautiful beyond measure, beyond belief.

Curly blonde hair, a figure that would make even the most popular of models week in insecurity. She was the Lord's expression of 'perfection', and it showed.

… it was all ruined by the fact that she was probably the most klutzy angel he's ever met.

"Lady Gabriel, why have you called us here?" Naruto asked, speaking for both himself and Dulio. The angel never called on the vassals of Metatron and rarely ever consulted those of Michael. The worry on her face was enough to drive home the seriousness of the situation, whatever it may be.

The angel motioned for the two exorcists to take a seat, completely forgetting that there was only one seat next to the table. When neither of the two took it, she chose to completely forget that she'd even offered.

"So, you know that Griselda's been on a mission over the last week, right?" the exorcists nodded, choosing not to interject. "Well, she's asked for reinforcements. Considering how powerful Griselda is, the fact that she requires backup is rather… worrisome."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Where is this mission? Dulio and I will personally go and see to her safety."

Gabriel nodded. "The mission itself is in northern Greece. We found a group of cultists who've been trying to summon some sort of monster. Griselda was dispatched to eliminate them." She sighed. "It was supposed to be an easy mission, considering there aren't many enemies that pose a threat to her."

"The fact that she's in need of reinforcements is enough reason for concern," Naruto answered. Gabriel nodded.

"I fear for her safety. I wished to contact Michael and Metatron about this but they are both unavailable as of now." She spoke, locking her pleading gaze with Naruto. "Would you take this mission on as a personal favour to me?"

Naruto shook his head. "You do not need to convince us, Lady Gabriel. If Griselda is in need, Dulio and I will go."

Dulio nodded. "I'll go and change. Meet me in the training field in five minutes." Naruto responded by getting out of his seat and opening a gateway to his room using STRADA. Dulio followed him and Gabriel was left alone in the room.

"That kid is too pure." She spoke to herself, leaning back in her chair. "Too hard to tease too."

Not that it was a bad thing. He'd make a good angel… but would he really want to?

They'd find out soon enough.

* * *

Naruto had never been to Greece before.

Sure, he wasn't here as a tourist, but the country itself was rather beautiful. They'd used STRADA to travel to the nearest city to Griselda's last-known location. Just the journey to the empty once-farmland where Griselda had beckoned them was enough to show Naruto the picturesque beauty of the locale.

Too bad it was marred by a very familiar kind of power.

"They're devils." Naruto breathed as Dulio crouched behind him. The two exorcists hid in a thicket and observed as the two rather powerful devils strode through the clearing with purpose.

"They are ultimate class. Sadly, I've never met these particular devils." Dulio mused. "Also, Griselda's emblem is located underground, the ward is picking it up, but I cannot see an entry point."

Naruto nodded. "Use your sacred gear, locate a vent. If they're underground and still alive, wherever they are has to be properly ventilated."

Dulio tapped into the power of Zenith Tempest and the winds around them shifted imperceptibly. Had Naruto not already been attuned to the wind, he wouldn't even have noticed that the way the air around him was moving was unnatural. It was a testament to how far Dulio had come with his sacred gear.

"There's an opening on the other side of the clearing." Dulio opened his eyes. "It's a proper gateway that leads underground. Seems to be a labyrinth of some kind underneath us."

Naruto grunted. "Which means we'll have to cross swords with the devils no matter what."

Dulio fidgeted with his collar. "Yeah, except those devils seem… important. They don't look like the strays we're used to dealing with."

Naruto kept on glaring at the devils in the distance. "I can tell that they are powerful, but I should be able to deal with them long enough for you to rescue Griselda."

Dulio cocked an eyebrow. "You mean _we_ can deal with them, right?"

Naruto shook his head. "We don't know how dire Griselda's situation is. We've already wasted time getting here." Naruto drew STRADA and Carnewennan. "You cannot face both of them along and force a stalemate. I can."

Dulio hissed. "Wow, that's _one_ way to call me useless."

Naruto shook his head again. "I'm not calling someone with a Longinus 'useless', Dulio. Knowing the power of your balance breaker, casualties will be impossible to avoid."

"I – on the other hand – can drag this battle long enough for you to extricate Griselda. If these devils are the reason she called for backup, we'll then outnumber them three-to-one." Naruto finished.

"What if Griselda is injured?" Dulio asked. Naruto sighed.

"Well then if she's injured, I'll open a path for you back to the Vatican." Naruto countered. STRADA's power was pretty great for escapes.

"Path for _us_?" Dulio asked, and Naruto nodded.

"Yes. Now, I want you to circle around as I gain their attention. You have my word that if they're here to harm Griselda in any way, they will meet their ends by my hand." Naruto finished, walking towards the duo.

"Save some for me and Griselda," Dulio spoke, taking the other way round.

They noticed Naruto almost instantly but did not attack. As he got closer, he could make out their features. They both had hairs that were different shades of grey. One was a female and an extremely beautiful one at that. She wore a maid's dress for some reason. The other wore a long, red coat and a skin-tight cream-coloured t-shirt under it that might have not even existed for all the good it was doing to hide his physique.

Of course, they were devils, and devils were the very embodiment of temptation.

They were powerful too. Powerful enough for it to be felt. Naruto had scarcely met any Ultimate-class beings outside of the archangels, but these devils definitely fit the bill. The way they felt was eerily similar, and they were good at hiding their malice if they held any. The taint of devils was still easy to make out if their appearances didn't already give it away.

Considering they already knew he was coming, he was quite glad they weren't attacking. Sure, if they didn't acquiesce to his demands, there would be quite a battle in store for him, but any time he wasted talking was time that Dulio could use.

So, like any friendly exorcist, he decided it would be best to give them a holler.

* * *

"Hello there!"

The kid was an odd one. Grayfia had sensed him the moment he appeared from the ticket, partly because he wasn't hiding and partly because he did not seem to be afraid of her and Diehauser.

He was an exorcist, that much was apparent from the fitted black cloak he wore. The emblem pinned to his chest was not one that she was familiar with, yet seemed to represent a high rank.

Finally, the casual nonchalance he was exhibiting when faces with two creatures with enough power to destroy a small country showed that he was either really stupid or really powerful.

Given his complete lack of traceable energy, Grayfia would generally lean towards the former, but then she realized that unlike the normal exorcists – who still gave off a small, pathetic power signature – this person had none. It almost felt like he wasn't even there.

The only thing that alerted her to his presence other than his callous shout was the cursed miasma that clung to him. She had no idea where it came from, she had no clue what the curse entailed, but she could tell that it wasn't malicious in nature… yet.

"Stay on guard." She instructed. He companion was no weakling. The king of rating games, Diehauser Belial, was at least as powerful as herself, if not more. Yet, she couldn't shake the feeling of trepidation that crept into her mind. Why would someone approach them – two creatures, that radiated power – with such reckless abandon? The emblem pinned to his lapel did little to assuage her worries.

Diehauser nodded and stepped forward. This was his mission, so he'd be doing the talking. Even though Grayfia had to accompany him due to diplomatic relations, he was the one who'd take the lead.

"Hello. How can we help you?" He asked. Violence was always the last resort when dealing with members of the church. There were many things the devils wanted from the church… a war was not one of them.

"Well, you're here on church territory. While this territory is generally open to visitors, it is currently under lockdown." The boy spoke with a cheerful smile on his face. Diehauser sighed while Grayfia frowned. Of course, things could never be easy, could they?

"We're here on a mission sanctioned by Lord Lucifer himself," Diehauser spoke, a hint of force seeping into his tone. "Our mission is time-sensitive. We shall be not be staying here long."

The boy shook his head. "I'm afraid I cannot allow that." There was force behind his cheerful words, just enough to let Diehauser that his change of tone was not appreciated. "This area has been cordoned-off by the order of Lady Gabriel. If Lord Lucifer has contacted the angels about this mission, we have yet to receive instructions to let anyone through."

"It's an urgent mission, kid. Get out of my way or I'll have to take you out." Diehauser growled. It wasn't common for the devil lord to lose his temper like that, but this mission was different. It was a lot more personal. Grayfia couldn't chastise him for it, considering she'd react the same way were she in his shoes.

"Oh? You'd attack a member of the church?" The boy spoke. The paused, and all pretence of civility disappeared from his face. His vibrant blue eyes suddenly seemed cold. The markings on his face that Grayfia would have normally considered 'cute' now seemed almost feral.

Diehauser nodded as he cracked his knuckles. "There are some lines I'm willing to cross when the stakes are this high."

The boy finally turned to Grayfia. "What about you? Are you okay with this?"

Grayfia didn't get time to respond as Diehauser shot off towards the boy, fist cocked. "She will not be needed for this."

The speed of the blow was too fast for any normal human to dodge. The force behind it was enough to kill an elephant. The boy had no business surviving it. Sadly, he had other plans.

"Your mouth shouldn't write checks your fist can't cash."

The only reason Diehauser survived his reckless charge was that Grayfia had a bad feeling. She'd created an ice-pillar the moment Diehauser's punch 'connected', covering his flank. The blonde simply disappeared from his original position, leaving behind part of a log. If she hadn't put up the pillar, the blonde's weapon would have cut clean through Diehauser.

What a weapon it was. A blue hue lit up a transparent, crystalline blade. She could feel the power of Durandal within it. Yet, it was different enough to not be confused with the legendary weapon.

It had cut through the Ice pillar with ease, but the initial hesitation at seeing the ice pillar had forced the blonde to pause for a fraction of a second, just enough time for Diehauser to dodge out of the weapon's way.

"Well, it seems there's more to you two than meets the eye." The boy spoke as Diehauser retreated to regroup with Grayfia.

"We have to take him down fast. We cannot waste time fighting an exorcist with a holy blade." Grayfia whispered to Diehauser. The King of rating games was acting out of instinct, much unlike his usual modus operandi. Then again, this mission was crucial to him.

Time was running out.

"Strategize all you want; you're not leaving this way." The boy pointed behind him. "On the other hand, if you retreat, I won't chase you down. I swear in the name of my lord."

There was no malice in his tone. The boy was not out here to fight them. It crossed Grayfia's voice for a second that maybe divulging the particulars of their mission would change his mind. Sadly, she was a vassal of her lord, and she was currently assigned to oversee Diehauser. It was – ultimately – his call to make.

"Sorry pal. I'm in a hurry." Diehauser responded, sealing their fate.

"That's fine by me, at least give me your names so that I'll be able to report them to my superiors once I' done here." The exorcist answered, pointing his sword at Diehauser.

"I'm Diehauser Belial, and this here is Grayfia Lucifuge." Grayfia noticed that the exorcist didn't react outwardly to the reveal. He was new, then. The emblem on his lapel spoke otherwise, though. She also noticed that Diehauser had withheld their titles.

Diehauser planned to kill the kid.

"For the courtesy, you have shown me, you can have my name as well." The exorcist spoke as he leaned lower, shifting his centre of gravity lower like a beast preparing to lunge.

"I am Naruto Uzumaki, Bladesage." He spoke, having moved within arm's reach of Diehauser in one single leap. Diehauser was ready for an attack, but he was definitely not expecting such speed.

He wasn't the king of rating games for no reason, though. Right before Naruto's sword sliced through him, his arm intercepted. Naruto's confident smile vanished as the light left his sword. The force behind the swing still remained, sending Diehauser skidding sideways. The moment he lost contact with the blade, the blue light re-emerged from the transparent blade.

"A second is all I can manage with my power… That truly is a fearsome weapon." Diehauser panted as he disengaged. Naruto made to pursue but was stopped mid-leap by a torrent of icicles that rained down from above, courtesy of Grayfia.

"Almost forgot that you were still here."

Grayfia threw up a wall of ice and jumped back, knowing her magic wouldn't stand a chance against Naruto's weapon. She readied a second spell that she'd launch the moment Naruto's sword found purchase in her wall. Sadly, for her, that never happened.

"Trying the same trick twice? Unadvisable." Naruto spoke, right into her ear. She prepared for the incoming strike, still wondering how Naruto was able to completely remove his presence from the battlefield and get the drop on her.

"Not that easy, exorcist!" Diehauser shouted as he rocketed over Grayfia, fist poised to launch a punch. Naruto took it into stride, bouncing on his toes and intercepting the blow. His sword lost its light again, but this time, his smile did not falter.

A scream erupted from Diehauser as he stepped back, nursing a bleeding hand. Grayfia summoned forth more Ice to distance Naruto from them as they jumped back. The Ice was instantly eradicated by a swing of Naruto's sword, and Grayfia got a better look at what the blonde held in his other hand. Once she realized what that simple-looking dagger in his off-hand was, her breath caught in her throat.

"Your nullification won't work on Carnewennan, Belial," Naruto spoke, his face impassive. Even though she had never seen the dagger of King Arthur with her own eyes, she knew what it would do. A dagger built for ultimate stealth, a dagger that was bathed in the blood of a witch of amazing power.

The knife in the dark, the nullifier of magic.

"We're going to have to take him seriously," Diehauser spoke. His wound was healing slowly, but nowhere near as fast as it usually would. He was lucky that Carnewennan lacked any true offensive capabilities, else he'd be missing an arm instead of merely nursing a wound.

"That will not be necessary."

Grayfia turned first. It had been more than a decade since she heard that particular tone. As for the voice itself, it was _home_ to her.

"Lord Lucifer."

She _noticed_ Naruto stiffen, but not in fear. He relaxed again when he'd taken in the visage of Sirzechs Lucifer. She had to commend him on his restraint, though.

"So you're the new piece Metatron has gained… Intriguing." There it was, the same look of familiarity that had flashed on Naruto's face was now mirrored on Sirzech's face for a fraction of a second, before melting back into neutrality.

"So, you were Lucifer all along," Naruto answered, hinting at having some partial knowledge about Grayfia's husband.

"And you never died, did you?" Sirzechs stated, confirming some sort of relationship.

Naruto shrugged. "I got better." He then raised his sword. "No thanks to that precious sister of yours."

Sirzechs winced. "Things got out of control, Naruto. I apologize for what happened."

Naruto grimaced. "things got 'out of control'? Your sister fucked me, stabbed me, and left me saddled with this fucking curse. Yeah, things got 'out of control'."

Sirzechs nodded. "Be that as it may, you're in our way here. If you continue to oppose us, we might see a repeat performance here." He stated, conjuring an orb of highly-concentrated power of destruction in his right hand. Concentrated enough to blow up a mountain with ease. It was a show of force, one that even the strongest of creatures would respect.

It got no respect from Naruto, instead, it got a response.

His eyes changed first, into eyes of pure orange, divided by a rectangular bar. The golden energy came next, enveloping his body with a mixture of the purest Senjutsu Grayfia had ever felt with something else that felt distinctly _human_. A fox slit-bifurcated the bar in his pupils, and the energy spread over his body, creating a golden cloak that radiated immense power.

Four tail-like appendages extended from his back, their tips morphing into clawed hands. Between them, power started to congeal. _Power_ was the only way to describe the black orb forming between there four ethereal limbs.

Power enough to rival what Sirzechs was showing, if not enough to surpass it.

"Lucifer or not, you will not be taking a step further till I have clearance," Naruto answered, his tone reminiscent of the coldest of steel. Sirzechs did not balk at his statement, but the awe that came with his meteoric rise in power definitely flashed over the visage of the lord Lucifer.

The tension stayed in the air, as two attacks of unfathomable power waited, like posed guns with itchy fingers at their triggers. For once in her long, _long_ life, Grayfia felt helpless. If Naruto had gone all-out on her from the very beginning, there would be nothing left for Sirzechs to rescue.

It was then that a cheery shout broke the tension.

"Hey, Naruto! You won't _believe_ what Griselda called us here for!"

Both attacks fizzled out due to sheer shock. All four of the combatants turned to face the newcomers, and the tension simply fizzled out.

Dulio Gesualdo, the wielder of Zenith Tempest, and the one to blame for the sudden unofficial cease-fire ran over to his fellow exorcist, followed by Griselda Quarta, the deadly swords-mistress of the church, and with them was Sairaorg Bael, Diehauser's pupil and the reason they'd come here, to begin with.

"Umm, Dulio, we're in something on a Mexican Standoff here, if you didn't notice." Naruto dully spoke as Dulio ran over to him.

"Yeah, that's all fine and good. But check this. I went down that opening and found myself in a labyrinth! Now, you know how amazing my sense of direction is, so I used Zenith Tempest to locate Griselda, and lo and behold! She was with a friendly devil who had _also_ called for backup!" Dulio cheerily spoke as Naruto's face lost what little expression was left on it. "So apparently, they both had the same mission. They took care of the cultists a few hours ago and then got completely lost in the Labyrinth! Guess how I got them out?"

Naruto sighed. "Go ahead, regale me with your tales of valour and _stupidity_."

Dulio grinned. "Well, I made a bubble to protect them and then I flooded the entire labyrinth, essentially draining them out!"

Naruto looked at both devil and exorcist. The fact that they were dripping wet corroborated Dulio's account. Naruto looked over at Sairaorg, who was not chatting animatedly with a rather shaken Diehauser. He then looked at Sirzechs, and finally at Grayfia, who had to suppress a gulp. Finally, he sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"… it seems we haven't been clear with each other. I apologize, I did not know that your mission was this _dire_." He spoke, giving Griselda a withering glare. The female exorcist had the decency to act abashed.

"No, it was my mistake. Had I been forthcoming about our mission outright, this could have been avoided." Diehauser stated. "Plus, I haven't had that good fight in a while. Also, it's always a treat to see a display of lord Lucifer's powers."

Sirzechs chuckled. "Ah, yeah. Let's completely forget about the fact that me and Naruto here almost blew up half a country…"

Naruto mirrored his expression. "The first time I use that power since I've come to this world, and all over a silly little mistake…" He then shook his head. "Never mind. Griselda, Dulio. You guys ready to go back." Two nods answered him, and the colour of his sword morphed to a clear green. He slashed thin air, and a portal appeared along the rift he cut.

"Hey, Naruto." Sirzechs interrupted, right after Griselda and Dulio passed through the portal. "When I said I'm sorry about what happened to you, I really meant it. Things should have never gone the way they did."

Naruto grunted. "But they did, and I don't hate you for it." He gave Sirzechs an impassive glance. "I've learnt that keeping grudges against someone who has wronged me before is pointless... to a certain extent."

Sirzechs smiled. "That's heartening to know… but what about Rias?"

Naruto stopped mid-step, his hand mere inches away from touching the portal. He turned again and gave Sirzechs a withering look.

"I did say 'within reason', did I not?"

Without saying another word, he stepped through the portal, which faded from view moments later. As he left, Grayfia's breathing eased again. There were questions on her mind, and Sirzechs knew that. Now, all she had to do was await the answers.

She didn't have to wait long.

"Grayfia. You remember that 'anomaly' from a few years ago?" Sirzechs spoke, and Grayfia nodded. Of course, who _didn't_ know of the anomaly? The amount of meetings Sirzechs had to sit through to make sure the other devil houses didn't try and claim it was enormous. Weirdly enough, that's all she remembered. A few months after all the hubbub, the anomaly simply… _vanished_.

Some said that the Gremory had traded it with the Phenex in order to get Rias out of her marriage contract with Riser. Some said the anomaly had simply ceased to exist. No one knew for certain what happened to it.

"Don't think too much about it. After meeting Naruto and feeling that _thing_ attached to him, I can understand why none of you remember." He spoke in a tone too sombre for the cheery Satan to even possess. "As a matter of fact, I'm one of the only two people in the underworld who remember him."

Grayfia was silent for a moment. Was Naruto the anomaly? Why would someone forget him? With that power, why would the Gremory let go of him?

"One would be me, and the other would be Rias." Sirzechs spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. Behind them, Diehauser was listening with rapt attention. Sairaorg was following suit.

"The one who found him… and the one who 'killed' him."

Suddenly, it became a lot clearer. The sheer hatred on his face when Rias was mentioned now made sense, and so did the guilt on Sirzech's face.

"It's one of the few failures of my life I will never forget myself for…" He stated. "At least he isn't lost forever, though."

Grayfia nodded. If the peace talks with heaven truly did come through, maybe she wouldn't have to fear the fact that the heavenly pantheon had gained a member who could go toe-to-toe with a Satan.

That was a terrifying thought indeed.

* * *

 **Alright. We're getting closer and closer to canon (or what my interpretation of canon is going to be like.)**

 **Secondly, people believe that this is going to be a Naruto x Griselda fic. While that idea is interesting, I've... actually not decided any pairings yet.**

 **Anyways, most importantly, I'mm be updating my RWBY fic next, possibly this week itself cuz I'm DONE with this semester at Uni. But yeah I've had some people coming to me with complaints about me removing my Naruto x RWBY cross from the site, so here's a little something to tide you by.**

 **Me and the peeps over at Devilforce Fanfiction have been working hard on a new RWBY x Naruto crossover named The Two-Step Goodbye. It's a fic about Naruto as a part of the RWBYverse and the Xiao Long family. We've put a lot of work into it and we have three lengthy chapters up already with a fourth following soon! Do check it out and tell my co-author (SneakyDevil) that he's a shithead. **

**Anyways. That's all for the day. See y'alls.**

 **-CruelRuin**


	4. Chapter 4

**Kept you waiting, huh?**

 **So, I hope that this chapter gets through to you what my intent with this story is. Till now, canon has been peacefully been continuing in the back-end, undisturbed by my story.**

 **That changes now.**

 **(Editing WiP)**

* * *

 **That Which Remains**

 **Chapter 4**

* * *

"Is this all that's left?"

Naruto cast a gaze over the destroyed building. At some point of time, this had been a monastery. One couldn't tell, though. The place was beyond destroyed. The arches that led up to the hilltop were ash, the wooden buildings where the monks lived and convened were much the same.

As for the monks, they were nowhere to be found.

"Yeah, this is all that they left." Naruto solemnly answered his unlikely companion.

"These godless heathens, what lows will they not stoop to?" Sun Wukong, the monkey king, asked from behind him. Naruto didn't have an answer to give him.

"I was surprised that you'd ask me for help, I can see why now," Naruto answered, flipping over a fallen portion of a smoldering wall. "Whoever did this was anything but weak."

Wukong nodded. "The monks here were battle-trained. Each was at least strong enough to take a middle-class being, maybe even a four-winged angel." He solemnly stated.

"They put up a fight, that much is for sure," Naruto answered, marking some scuffs on the ground. "There's no familiar occult energy here, at least not angels or devils."

"No Buddhas either. No, son. This was done by humans." Wukong confirmed, breaking out his trusty pipe and sitting down on a blackened rock. "Sacred gear wielders by the look of things."

"Not weak ones either. Probably had someone who could use high-class teleportation magic." Naruto commented, getting a raised eyebrow from Wukong.

"The Monks weren't killed. There's barely any blood on the ground. There are no bodies to be found. They were kidnapped." Naruto spoke, moving around the destroyed area. "The enemy group was five people at max, but they were skilled, _very_ skilled."

Wukong nodded. "I surmised as much," he spoke as he lit his pipe and gave it a deep puff. The smell of tobacco mixed with the smell of smoldering wood as he continued. "It's the Khaos brigade again. They're the only group that's both strong enough and employs humans."

"Surprised your mind didn't drift to us Exorcists. We're humans too, you know?" Naruto shot back. Wukong cracked a smile at that.

"The Exorcists would have done it a lot cleaner, this reeks of ineptitude. They might be strong, but they aren't quite as effective." Wukong answered. "Plus, what would you do with two dozen monks?"

Naruto shrugged. "What would the Khaos brigade want monks for?"

Wukong sighed, releasing another puff of smoke. "Well, they're known for kidnapping people. Sacred gear users, stray devils, normal civilians, you name it." he took another puff from his pipe, allowing his words to sink in. "They probably have magicians of some skill in their ranks, maybe they're trying to create a mind-controlled army?"

Naruto grunted. "Can't be too large of an army, else the church would have heard of it."

Wukong shrugged. "Hell if I know. They're terrorists, half the shit they do doesn't make sense."

Naruto contemplated Wukong's words for a second before coming to his own conclusion. "That can't be it. These attacks weren't _spectacles_ , so to say. This wasn't a demonstration, else there would be corpses. They ran away before you could reach here, so they don't have the confidence to come out in the open." he sighed. "This was a preparatory attack. They're building up to something big."

"You want to stop it, don't you?" Wukong asked.

"Don't you?" Naruto shot back instantly.

Wukong shook his head. "The politics between the powers are too restraining for me to just go on a tear looking for these terrorist shits. I don't know who they're working for, or who they have in their arsenal."

"I do know one thing though."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "What would that be?"

Wukong narrowed his eyes. "There's a lingering presence on this battlefield that is very familiar to me. You sense it's divinity too, don't you?"

Naruto nodded. It was a definite holy presence, the remnants of something used in the battle that took place in the monastery.

"That, kid, is the presence of the Longinus. The spear that pierced the flank of the son of God." Wukong answered, and Naruto flinched.

"Such a powerful weapon is in the hands of the enemy? I need to alert Metatron." Naruto spoke as he summoned STRADA. "Thank you for the info, Wukong."

"No issues, kid. The more people that know of these suckers, the harder it will be for them to get away with this kind of horror." Wukong answered as Naruto created a rip in the air with his sword and jumped through. Left alone in the remains of the monastery, Wukong allowed himself a small chuckle.

"He's worried about the Longinus, even though he holds _that thing_ in his soul," Wukong commented to himself, finally getting up from the rock.

"It should be his enemies that are worried, even though he seems clueless of his own true potential."

* * *

"The owner of the True Longinus serves the Khaos brigade, you say?" Metatron spoke, his metal brows furrowed in concern.

Naruto nodded.

"That's… Worrisome news." Michael finished for his brother, massaging his forehead like he was nursing a migraine. "This kind of news is the last thing one wants to hear in the morning."

"Between the situation in Kuoh and this, I don't know what's worse."

That caught Naruto's attention. Kuoh in Japan was a hotbed for the devils. News from the town was scarce, and what little did reach the church was always second hand knowledge.

"What happened in Kuoh?" Naruto asked.

Michael sighed. "You remember the holy swords that were stolen from the church a few days before you left on your mission?" he asked.

Naruto nodded. "Wasn't Griselda supposed to go and retrieve them?" He asked, getting a nod from Metatron as a response.

"That was originally a plan, but some complication came up with a large contingent of the clergy going missing in South Africa. She's on a mission there to locate and retrieve them." Metatron spoke. "It was a mission requested by the pope. She left before we could delegate our mission to her."

Naruto grunted. "As always, the clergy fuck things up to suit their own needs. You give them far too much authority over the exorcists."

Michael chuckled. "You know we can't change our nature, Naruto. The lord created us to look over them, not to command them."

Naruto raised an eyebrow at that. His lips widened into a wry grin. "Really now? I'll be sure to bring that up when you try and _order_ me to go on those long, boring stakeout missions."

Michael laughed at that. "Well, as true as that is, we do hold the liberty to reprimand them a _bit_ when they err from the path of God."

Naruto looked on in mild curiosity. "They fucked up something else too, didn't they?"

Metatron answered this time. "Well, they took it into their own hands to send out two exorcist of their own choosing to go and retrieve the swords."

Naruto shrugged. "Well, they're spoilt for choice, aren't they? Who did they send? Vasco? Any of my cute little underlings?"

There was a silence that took over, a silence that made Naruto realize that the clergy had fucked up a lot harder than that.

"They sent Xenovia and Irina, with an Excalibur fragment to each's name." Michael answered.

Naruto was silent for a moment. "So you're trying to tell me that the clergy simply skipped over a few hundred highly-trained exorcists in favor of sending two greenhorns into battle. Also, they armed said greenhorns with some of the greatest weapons in existence?"

"Not how I would put it, but in essence, yes." Metatron answered.

"Well, so what happened? They can't be dead, or in trouble. The mark on my hand would warn me if they were." Naruto stated, frowning. "So, what complications did the girls run into?"

Metatron hummed. "Two days after they reached Kuoh, the swords had already been destroyed. The thief was Kokabiel, erstwhile member of the Grigori. Him and his human accomplices were killed."

"The devils in the city took them down, huh? Let me guess, they don't want to return the fragments." Naruto guessed, only to gain a shake of the head from Metatron.

"The devils of the town have retreated. I believe what transpired between Kokabiel and his adversary made them flee back to the underworld." He answered, confusing Naruto further.

"Wait, so who is this adversary?" Naruto finally asked the million dollar question.

"... His name is Issei Hyoudou. The human welder of the Longinus 'Boosted Gear'." Metatron finished, and Naruto's eyes widened.

"The Crimson dragon emperor." He spoke. "That makes this a lot more complicated."

Michael nodded. "That it does. This is a matter of humans, and neither the devils nor us angels can intrude any further without political backlash."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "The devils didn't try to turn him?"

"They tried, but he wouldn't have it. A group of fallen had already made an attempt at his life before someone tried to turn him. He was smart enough to realize that had he actually died, he wouldn't have the chance to turn them down." Metatron spoke with an undertone of disdain.

"Caught on to their tricks, did he? Must be a smart boy." Naruto concluded.

"That's the general consensus." Michael chimed in. "Still, he's currently in possession of three sacred artifacts that belong to the church. As such, we're well within our rights to send out someone to deal with him."

"Three artifacts?" Naruto asked. As far as he knew, only two swords had been taken from the church.

"... The deployment of Xenovia and Irina isn't the only way the clergy messed up." Metatron spoke. "A few weeks ago, an Italian church excommunicated a holy maiden because she healed a devil. By the time we had reached a verdict on her fate, the clergy had already sent her off to Kuoh for reasons unknown."

Naruto was silent. "Would this holy maiden be Asia Argento, by any chance?"

"I'm afraid so."

The atmosphere in the room suddenly got _heavy_. Even the archangels, perfect creations of God, were not spared from the feelings of dread that emanated from the indignant Naruto.

"Where are these clergy members?"

It was a simple question, but Metatron had to dredge up enough courage to answer it first. "They went missing mere hours after her excommunication. I've sent a few members of the church assassins after her."

Naruto locked his gaze with Metatron's. "Good. They will be hunted down, and they will die." He raised an arm and STRADA appeared in a burst of light.

"As for me, I'm going to hunt a dragon."

A swing of his sword followed, and he was gone, leaving the two angels behind.

"His anger is more terrifying than I remember it being." Michael spoke, trying to shake off the feelings of doom Naruto had left him with.

Metatron sighed. "Asia is someone he cares for. He sees her as you do, a kind soul. For someone to try and defile one so pure, Naruto would not take that well."

"I know that all too well now, brother." Michael answered. "I hope the crimson emperor gets a word in edgewise before Naruto destroys him and Kuoh."

"Don't be silly, brother. Naruto would never cause collateral damage." Metatron spoke.

"Issei Hyoudou, on the other hand... I can't guarantee his safety."

* * *

Naruto expected more from Kuoh.

Not only was it the den of a dragon, but also the homestead of two prominent devil families. It was as close to The Vatican as the devils could get outside of the underworld, and yet, it looked so… mundane. What little Naruto had learnt of dragons was that they liked to live lavish lives, and that most coveted gold and gems. As for the excess of Devils… he had firsthand experience.

The other thing Naruto had learnt was to never mess with a dragon unless absolutely necessary. Of course, Naruto being Naruto, took that as more of a guideline than a steadfast rule. Sadly, in his year of church service, he'd never run into one.

Now that he'd finally be meeting one, it wouldn't be on amicable terms.

He looked around. The people of Kuoh were going around their business. Making their way home for the evening. Salarymen were moving to bars, ready to spend their weekends binge-drinking the week off. By all means, this was a normal place.

Except for the distinct devil signatures headed his way.

"Well, I was told that the families of Kuoh weren't present to deal with the Crimson Dragon Emperor. Guess that was a lie." Naruto muttered to himself as a teenager with short dirty blonde hair approached him. He could feel the other devils, each observing him from a well-covered vantage point. Whoever their king was knew basic combat strategy.

Impressive.

"We weren't expecting any members of the clergy in Kuoh." The boy spoke to Naruto, who put on an amicable smile. "You won't mind coming with us, will you?"

Naruto kept the smile up, even though he was miffed by the standoffish devil. "Well, when in devil territory, follow what they do."

Confirming his compliance, the boy relaxed a bit. He then shot Naruto a weak smile. "Yeah, thanks. Anyways, my king wants to meet you. I guess you're here because of a certain dragon problem?"

Naruto nodded. "Yes I am. I was under the impression that there's only _one_ dragon in Kuoh, though."

The boy flinched at that. It was easy to gather that the boy had a dragon-type sacred gear. He knew some members of the exorcists who had weaker dragon-powered sacred gears. This boy felt similar, yet a lot stronger at the same time.

"Uh, yeah. There's only one _problematic_ dragon. I'm not him." The boy spoke as he started to walk. He walked into an alley and a teleportation circle appeared below his feet. Similar energy signals flared up in the vantage points around them. Their watchers had deemed Naruto a non-threat.

"Kindly step into the circle. You're familiar with teleportation magic, aren't you?" The boy asked, and Naruto nodded.

"Some may say I'm an expert in thefield." Naruto replied as he stepped into the circle. The boy snapped his fingers, and they disappeared in a flash of light.

* * *

When her familiars warned her that an exorcist had entered Kuoh, Sona wasn't expecting another teen.

She'd gotten back from another one of Rias' blasted training trips two days ago, only to learn that in her absence, the local school pervert had awakened the power of a Longinus, survived an attempt on his life, destroyed a low-ultimate class fallen and somehow declared a good chunk of their town _his_ territory.

All while being human… or marginally human.

She'd contacted her sister and parents for guidance, but had gotten a general ethos of dismissal. It took her mere minutes to realize why. Issei Hyoudou was a human, and while Kuoh was owned by devils, taking action against the humans that lived there could give other factions reason to move in. The Shinto faction - among many others - wouldn't stand for it.

They were expecting an exorcist. Considering the church had a few Excalibur fragments to recover. The first two were basically hostages now, and this new one… didn't look like much.

"I'm Sona of the Sitri family." She introduced herself to the blonde boy who couldn't be more than a few years elder to her. "You're not Dulio Gesualdo."

The boy shook his head. "Nope, though we do look similar, I must admit." He spoke, leaning forward with a good-natured smile on his face. Sona had met strong exorcists in her life. Her sister was a Satan, and her domain was external affairs. Many an exorcist had visited her domain in the human world. Sona had - as a kid - seen even the revered Vasco Strada. Men of power had a certain aura around him, like a passive threat.

There was nothing like that around this person, even compared to her own peerage members.

"No offence, but I do not know your name, even that badge you wear isn't familiar to me." Sona spoke. She did realize that his badge signified some sort of position of power. He was well-built, but not like Vasco, or even Sairaorg, who had trained their bodies to the absolute limit. He appeared to be a diplomat of sorts, all things considered.

"It doesn't matter. I was sent here by the clergy to close up some unfinished business." The boy spoke, waving a hand. "As for my name, I'm Naruto Uzumaki. Don't bother remembering it, it ain't worth the effort."

That was odd to say the least. Naruto didn't have the hubris associated with most clergymen in a position of power, and neither did he have the aura of a seasoned warrior. This brought forth one simple question.

 _Why did the church send him?_

"Could you fill me in on the situation here?" He asked. "Considering you had your peerage intercept me, I'd say you like being in control. You've already tried dealing with him, haven't you?"

Sona raised an eyebrow. She didn't miss how Naruto mentioned her peerage, and not just Saji. Still, it wasn't enough to confirm whether he truly knew that Sona had assigned her entire peerage to keep an eye on him, just in case things soured.

One could never be too careful around the Church.

"Considering the fact that the city is still standing, I guess you went the diplomatic route." Naruto continued, clapping his hands together. "So, are you going to keep staring at me or fill me in on the situation?"

Sona glared at Naruto. "I first have to confirm your allegiance. We have had troubles with exorcists recently, so you understand my suspicion."

Naruto sighed, then removed the glove from his right hand. As the glove slid over the back of his palm, a very familiar insignia made itself known. The Book, bifurcated by the spear.

"That's Lord Metatron's sigil." He spoke in a calm, collected voice. "And he saw fit to personally dispatch me to collect what is rightfully ours. So, I suggest you start talking. Things have messed up badly enough on your home turf, and none of us want a diplomatic incident."

Sona gulped. Metatron was one of the greatest angels from the heavenly pantheon. He was also the most secretive angel. For him to personally delegate a mission this important to his underling meant there was more to Naruto than met the eye. Plus, it took away any suspicion she had.

"We spoke to him when I returned, gauged how powerful he had become." Sona took a deep breath before continuing. "He quite literally died twice. The only reason he survived was because he gave up parts of his body to Ddraig."

"Ddraig's the name of the Crimson emperor." She spoke, noticing the confusion on Naruto's face. "He has given up half his body to the dragon, so he can use a considerable part of the dragon's power. Thankfully, he hasn't obtained Balance Breaker yet."

"How do you know that?" Naruto asked.

Sona shrugged. "Issei's a simple person. He told us when we asked."

Naruto raised an eyebrow in suspicion, but chose not to speak. Sona continued. "We know that he gave the Excalibur shards to the exorcists sent out before you, we also know that he's sheltering them."

"So, if I was to ask him nicely, he'd just let them go?" Naruto asked with a taunting smile. Again, Sona had to fight the urge to snap back.

"That's unlikely. He apparently knows one of the exorcists well, and she was injured quite badly by Kokabiel. I surmise that's when he gave up so much of his body to Ddraig." She spoke. "If the Holy maiden wasn't around, I'm not sure his friend would have survived."

Naruto nodded. "So, considering Kokabiel was accompanied by a rogue division of exorcists, he doesn't see us favorably."

"That would be putting it lightly." Sona stated, locking her fingers. "His friend was ambushed by the exorcists. Since then, he's dealt with any exorcists unlucky enough to run into him with extreme prejudice."

Naruto grunted. "Well, looks like my work is cut out for me. Where can I find him?"

Sona was silent for a second. "Even without Balance Breaker, Issei does hold the boosted gear. No offence, but he's low Ultimate-class based solely on his raw power. For all intents and purposes, three boosts can put him at mid ultimate class."

Naruto gave her a smile. "You doubt that I'll be able to face him, do you?"

Sona nodded.

Naruto's smile grew. "Just point me in his direction. If all goes well, you won't have a dragon problem in Kuoh anymore. If things go south, you still have plausible deniability. It's a win-win situation."

Sona held his gaze for a second. For someone willing to march into the jaws of death, there was a surprising lack of fear on Naruto's face. Finally, she made up her mind.

"The Hyoudo residence is in the southern area of the city. You can't miss his power signature, it's quite uncontrolled, even with the runic cloth I have him."

Naruto nodded. "Thank you, Lady Sitri." He got up from his chair and walked over to the door of the student council room. "Also, would you like a few words of advice?"

Sona decided to humor the man. "Go on, tell me."

"You really shouldn't judge books by their covers."

The moment he said those words, he vanished. There was no magic involved, nothing that she knew of. The boy was simply… Gone.

Sona settled down into her chair and motioned to her queen. Tsubaki walked over to her and gave her a bow.

"What may I do for you, Kaichou?" She asked.

"Get me each and every book we have on church orders. The older, the better." She spoke, and Tsubaki gave her a quizzical look.

"Naruto's badge meant something, I want to know exactly what it is."

* * *

Sona was right about Issei's power signature.

It was quite something. He could feel it the moment he entered the housing district in the southern side of the city. It was wild, unrestrained. There was a primal quality to it which spoke volumes about what kind of fight Naruto could expect.

The signature led Naruto to a decently sized house. Other than Issei himself, Naruto could also feel multiple sources of holy energy, and the familiar signatures of his fellow exorcists and Asia.

Fighting Issei here was out of the question. The housing district was ill-equipped to take the kind of punishment a dragon could dish out.

Assassinating Issei wasn't an option either. The boy hadn't done anything to warrant his death. On the other hand, he'd single-handedly wiped out an exiled Church order that was designated for assassination. He had also killed Kokabiel, the grigori who had dared to steal the church's property.

Why Kokabiel had done it? Naruto had no idea.

In his eyes, Issei just needed to be taught a lesson. Sure, the kid was low-Ultimate class, which was much higher than the high-class devils in Sona's peerage, but he was still pretty low on the pecking order.

He needed to be reminded of that.

Naruto stood atop the house opposite Issei's own and flared some killing intent. He felt Issei's energy roil, and he knew the boy had gotten the message.

Mere seconds later, the house's door opened, and Naruto got his first look at the Crimson Emperor.

… A bland, brown-haired Japanese boy.

Sure, he was wearing bandages under his shirt that covered all the way from his neck down to his fingers, but those were just the runic cloths to hide his true form. His transformation had to be pretty extensive if it took that much runic cloth to cover it up.

"You're an exorcist, aren't you?" Issei asked with venom in his voice. Even with how serious his tone was, Naruto had to actively try and hold back his laughter.

"Well, more of an assassin really. I do work for the church though." Naruto spoke with a good-natured smile on his face. It was a smile Issei did not want to reciprocate in the slightest.

"Leave now. I won't give over the girls to the very men that tried to kill them." Issei asked, closing the door behind him and letting more power leak out.

"Oh? So the girls decided not to come back, did they?" Naruto asked, making Issei flinch. "Or did you man up and decide _for_ them, bucko?"

Issei kept glaring daggers at Naruto. "It's for their own good. All the church would do it send them to their deaths again."

Naruto chucked. "What do you want them to do? Defect to the devils? Heard they pretty much owned this place before you decided it was free real estate."

Issei shook his head. "The devils are just as bad. Lying, conniving creatures that will even let you die so that you can't refuse them."

Naruto shrugged. "I don't know, Issei. Isn't the fact that you still look like a human credited to a devil?"

Issei grunted. "Kaichou will always be Kaichou first, a devil second. She always wants the best for her fellow students."

"Even if they hold one of the strongest dragons that ever existed in their soul?" Naruto asked, and Issei's frown dropped a bit..

"Especially if they do. Now, was there a point to that question?"

Naruto nodded. "If devils can be such a mixed bag of good and bad, don't you think that the exorcists can be the same way?"

Issei resumed his glare. "I couldn't care if the sun shone out of their asses, the girls aren't leaving. If I have to protect them from you, so be it." he finishes as an emerald-topped red gauntlet appeared on his arm.

Naruto sighed. "Well, I won't lie and say I didn't see this coming, but I'll at least try and act apologetic about what I'm going to do."

Issei raised an eyebrow. "And what would that be?"

"This."

Before Issei could react, Naruto was in front of him, holding him by his collar with one hand. In his other hand was STRADA, with which he cut open a portal in the air. Issei was then flung through said portal and had to scramble to get back up as Naruto stepped through. The portal closed behind him, and the arid winds of the Saharan desert hit his face.

"There's nothing around for miles. While I have no love for devils, I'd rather not have you wreck their town." Naruto spoke as he watched Issei get up. Issei lost no time as Naruto felt his power double.

"Boost!"

With that, Issei leapt at Naruto. It was a reckless charge, but not ineffective. Any move with such speed couldn't possibly be ineffective. Naruto had to Kawarimi to dodge it. He was pretty sure that any exorcist other than himself, Dulio, or Strada would be destroyed by it.

Issei was momentarily confused by the sudden position switch, but the moment that confusion faded, he was back in striking range of Naruto. Naruto dodged his punches with some effort. There was no pattern to Issei's attacks, there was only a steady stream of punches and kicks. The kid had no formal training.

Do dragons even need combat training?

Naruto was about to ask about that, but was stopped as Issei's power doubled again. He became faster, stronger, and much more persistent.

So, Naruto replied in kind.

Carnewennan appeared in his left hand as Naruto sidestepped a haymaker. He struck with the knife, and Issei dodged. He was still nicked by the dagger.

Just as Naruto wanted.

Issei's runic cloth started to glow as the magic stored within it faded. A ripple of blue light originated from the nick and passed over Issei's frame, dispelling the glamor over his body and revealing scale-like skin all over his arms, running up to his chin. There was a patch of scales on his forehead as well, but the most noticable difference were the red limbal rings that appeared around his sclera.

"Huh, that's what happens when you sacrifice half your body to your friendly soul-dragon, huh?"

Issei glared at Naruto. "You're strong. Ddraig doesn't understand how. Plus you have that sword… and that knife."

Naruto nodded. "I also have my great looks and my winning personality."

Issei's frown deepened. "I'm going to punch you."

Naruto just smiled.

* * *

Punching the blonde was a task easier said than accomplished.

For one, he was infuriatingly fast. Even with his fourth boost, the blonde was keeping up with him with much ease. Issei could boost three more times, but something told him that his adversary would be faster still.

That something was Ddraig, of course.

" _I'm telling you, Issei, this is not an opponent that you can face as you are right now."_

Ddraig was Issei's voice of reason, but he could also be excessively infuriating. Did the dragon not see that the blonde had left him with no choice?

" _Honestly, Issei, I think he has given you the choice to simply sit down and talk. He's not even attacking, even when you're completely open."_

Sure, that was the case, but how tough could he really be? He had no presence.

" _He's an assassin, you dumbass! That's a skill he's picked up. Plus, something clings to him. You can feel it too, can't you?"_

Issei could. It was a power that was constantly leaking out of the blonde. Yet, it didn't feel like it was _natural_. Almost like Ddraig's energy.

" _Except the energy is something I have never felt before… Or have I? I cannot tell. It feels both completely foreign yet familiar, like I know what it is, yet I have forgotten."_

Issei grunted with effort as he boosted again, doubling his power. Still, the blonde evaded with ease, speeding up yet again to account for Issei's increased speed.

One more boost in the tank. Still, Issei had another trump card. He still had half a human body. If needed, he could give more of it over to Ddraig, increase his power tremendous in the bargain.

" _... About that, Issei. If you surrender more of your body to me, you'll lose control."_

That was new. Till this point, Issei had survived by giving Ddraig parts of his body, allowing the dragon to channel more draconic energy into him. That's how he killed those fallen angels, that's how he'd murdered the exorcists.

That's how he'd been able to topple Kokabiel.

" _Your body is still human, Issei. The more draconian it gets, the higher the chance you have to unravel. Trust me, you don't want that."_

Issei had to agree that 'unraveling' sounded excessively ominous and he would like to avoid that. He boosted one last time, hoping it would finally give him the advantage over his opponent.

It wasn't going to happen.

" _Issei, he's too strong to take head-on. If you don't want to talk, you have to fight smarter."_

Issei looked around him, seeing only dunes surrounding him. Till this point, he'd never needed to rely on tactics or trickery in fights. The combined power of Ddraig and the Boosted Gear made sure that he could just overpower his opponents.

He'd have to adapt, and he knew how to do that… vaguely.

" _You sure this will work?"_ Ddraig asked as he pieced together Issei's plan from his mind. Again, Issei was just as skeptical. His plan relied on his opponent being human. If the blonde had senses rivaling that of an occult creature, the plan would simply fail.

Still, it was the only plan he could come up with on such short notice. So, he went for it.

Issei jumped back on to a large dune, leaving his confused opponent far below him. Boosted gear transformed into its cannon form, and the blonde's confusion changed into caution.

Issei charged up a shot a fired at the blonde, only to miss. He fired a couple more times in quick succession, missing every time.

It didn't matter, he'd accomplished what he needed.

Each shot that landed on the ground had exploded, knocking up clouds of sand. The blonde was between those clouds, probably waiting for them to settle. Issei could still smell him, thanks to his enhanced, draconian body.

He saw his chance and he capitalized, trying to blindside the blonde. He leaped in, and his fist connected with his adversary.

… whose body disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"That was a pretty good plan, Issei." the blonde's voice rang out from all around him, and his nose was assaulted by the multiple sources of the same smell. Somehow, his opponent had circled him… Alone.

"Sadly for you, I've been doing stuff like this my entire life."

A fist connected with Issei's face, sending him tumbling backward to meet a boot that got planted in the small of his back. Issei turned with a fist ready to find nothing. Pain suddenly shot up through his spine as another fist lodged itself into his body, and then another lodged itself into his chest.

His enemy could clone himself.

A flurry of attacks later, the sand finally settled to reveal three identical copies of the blonde staring at an injured Issei.

"You should pick your opponents more carefully. Now, I ought to go collect my wards." he spoke as that sword appeared in his right hand. He was going to cut through thin air as Issei shakily scrambled back to his feet.

"Oh, still got some fight left in you?" Issei's adversary spoke up, dispelling his sword and spreading his arms. "Go on then, take your best shot. Fair warning, if you couldn't connect earlier, you're not going to connect now."

" _As cocky as he sounds, he has a point. We've lost, Issei."_

No, he hadn't lost. He couldn't lose. This bastard was an exorcist, like Freed, or Valper, or those fucking Templars who almost killed Irina. He was part of the same church who had exiled a pure soul like Asia, who had sent her to Kuoh to die. He was a part of the same exorcists who had sent two young girls to die to a member of the grigori.

No, there was no way Issei could lose here.

" _You want to try_ _ **that**_ _?" Ddraig asked, steel in his voice. "Only half my hosts ever achieved it in their lifetimes, and none achieved it this quick after learning of my existence. If you fail, we might die due to the backlash."_

Issei knew that, it was the very reason that he hadn't tried to achieve that form yet. Too much risk, no necessity. Now - on the other had - Issei needed every bit of power he could muster.

He had to do it.

" _So it is, then. Give it your best shot."_

And so Issei did. He sent all his energy to his Boosted gear. The pain came instantly as the sacred gear refused to take all the power.

" _Slower, Issei! You have to find balance, it's in the fucking name!"_

Time was not a luxury Issei had, so he pumped ever more energy into the sacred gear. The pain grew, but Issei felt something start giving way.

" _Issei, what are you trying to do!?"_ Ddraig screamed in his mind, but Issei didn't listen. Something was giving way, and the pain barely left him awake enough to concentrate on pushing.

Still, his method was simple. Why find balance when you can simply break the scales. Finally, as the resistance gave way, Boosted Gear's gem started to glow. The pain subsided as Issei felt plate armor cover his body.

He couldn't find balance, so he simply brute-forced his way through his sacred gear.

It was at that point that Issei realized why this power was called 'Balance Breaker'.

* * *

Naruto was impressed.

In front of him stood Issei, garbed in red plate mail. He looked more like a mecha than a man, complete with what looked like shoulder-mounted boosters.

What really impressed him, though, was Issei's monumental increase in power. Middle Ultimate class at the very least, on par with what Dulio could achieve with his Balance Breaker.

The Longinus-class sacred gears were really something else.

"You gave me no choice." Issei's shaking voice rang out from the armor.

"I did. Surrender my peers and the Excalibur fragments and you don't have to do this." Naruto replied, already knowing what the answer would be. In Issei's eyes, Naruto was the enemy. He was the one coming into Issei's house, trying to take away the people he wanted to protect.

Something his clones had already done, but Issei didn't know that.

"That isn't a choice." Issei spoke calmly, widening his stance. The boosters on his back flared up, and Naruto realized that Issei was a good person. but he really needed that lesson.

Naruto was willing to provide.

"So be it." Naruto spoke as the Six Paths cloak formed around him.

Issei visibly flinched as Naruto stopped holding back his killing intent. He recovered quickly, but the damage had been done. Issei now knew that even with his recent accomplishments, Naruto was an opponent he couldn't face. The mental damage had been done.

Now, it was time for the physical.

Defying his fear, Issei did charge at Naruto. It was futile, but it was respectable. He'd committed to his assault, and he wouldn't retreat. Commendable, but stupid. It was what Naruto would have done once.

When did that change? Maybe when Rias stuck her hand through his chest. It was a lesson he had to learn, it was a lesson that Issei would one day learn too, but today was class for a different sort of lesson.

"Issei, let me teach you this the hard way." Naruto spoke as his body blurred through Issei's charging body.

"There's _always_ bigger fish."

A Rasengan formed in Naruto's right hand and was driven into Issei's back, ripping through his armor and depositing him into the ground. It didn't stop there as the Rasengan kept grinding, driving Issei deeper into the ground. Yet, even as his back started to come apart, Issei resisted. He kept trying to push back up.

It was a battle of wills, and it could only end one way.

Naruto sent more chakra into his Rasengan, and it expanded outwards, finally crushing Issei, both in spirit and body.

As the cloud of dust thrown up by the Rasengan finally settled, it revealed an Injured Issei lying in a crater with Naruto standing over him. Naruto sighed before picking Issei up and throwing him over his shoulder.

He had a plan, and if he could execute it properly, he could make a power play that would make a lot of people very happy, and a lot of people absolutely livid.

Just the thought of it made his face light up with a devilish smile.

* * *

When Issei finally woke up, he woke up with a start.

There was a weight next to his thigh. Taking a look at it,he found Asia sleeping with her head on his legs.

It was then that he realized that he was somehow back home.

He got out of bed, taking care not to wake up Asia as he did. He put his pillow where his leg was and left the bed.

"She was quite angry at me for injuring you. She's never been angry at me."

Issei almost fell back on the bed when he heard Naruto's voice. He almost summoned Boosted Gear, but was stopped by Ddraig, who was being oddly silent about everything.

"Gotta say, Irina and Xenovia were equally angry. They still aren't talking to me. So, tell me, what happened?" Naruto asked.

Issei looked confused, "What do you mean?"

Naruto sighed. "I know bits and pieces of what transpired here. Some I was told by my superiors, some by these three girls. I want your account of it."

Issei frowned. "I already told you about what the redheaded whore did, didn't I?"

Naruto shrugged. "I want details. As far as I knew, the devils had laid claim to you. You're the wielder of a Longinus. Every high class devil house would be tripping over each other to get at you. How did they fuck up?"

Issei sighed. "It's a long story."

"I got time." Naruto replied, sitting down on Issei's study chair. "Don't worry about Asia, she's a sound sleeper. Would take much more than some casual conversation to wake her up."

Issei nodded. Asia had been living with him long enough for him to know that snippet of information. He settled down on the bed, sitting next to her.

"I came into contact with Ddraig a few days before it all happened. At first, I was unwilling to believe him, believe his very existence. He told me things about the occult. About Rayanare, who was trying to get close to me." Isse spoke.

"Rayanare? Who would that be?" Naruto interjected. A sour look crossed over Issei's face.

"The fallen angel Rayanare was tasked with killing me. She was following Kokabiel's orders, though I didn't know that back then." Issei answered.

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess, she succeeded, didn't she?"

"In a way, yeah." Issei sighed. "She left me for dead. Had Ddraig not taken over my arm, I would have died then and there."

Naruto grunted. "So he changed your body into something capable of channeling more of his energy, allowing you to survive."

Issei nodded, then continued. "I was lying there, in that park, waiting for my my legs to stop feeling like jelly, when that devil bitch came. She was quite surprised to find me alive and breathing. I was about to ask her for help when she ran off. Ddraig told me later about her heritage, and what she was going to do to my dead body."

Naruto nodded. "Whoever she is, she's still a devil. It's in their nature to be shrewd manipulators."

Issei scoffed. "A manipulator she definitely is. Between her and her queen, she had the entire school mesmerised. Still probably the single most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on."

Naruto nodded. "I once knew a devil like that. Tried to kill me after showing me the lovely life I could have had."

Issei chuckled. "Yeah, sounds like Rias"

Naruto froze in front of him instantly. It took a few seconds for Issei to put two and two together.

"She was the same one who tried to murder you, wasn't she?"

Naruto nodded. "Yes. Though that's not something I want to discuss further. Go on with your story."

Issei did as asked. "I never saw Rayanare after that day. Later that week, I met Asia. Basically, whoever sent her here was colluding with a bunch of fallen angels and some exiled exorcists"

"They wanted to force her to be their healer?" Naruto asked, and Issei shook his head.

"Worse. They wanted to extract her sacred gear." Issei raised a hand to stop Naruto, who was about to interject. "It was a device that belongs to someone named Azazel. Fun guy, came to thank me for getting it back to him. Wasn't quite as happy when he learnt what I did to the fallen."

Naruto swallowed. Issei's cold tone was enough to tell him what happened to the fallen.

"Anyways. It ended up okay. Ddraig's tutelage and the Boosted Gear's power was enough to completely outclass them." Issei then fell quiet for a second, thinking things over.

"Problems came when Kokabiel decided to drop by."

Naruto nodded. "By what I've heard, you killed him all alone. That's no small task."

Issei laughed. "Gave half my body for it. No regrets though." the mirth evaporated from his face as fast as it had appeared. "He hurt Irina. He was slated for death."

Naruto nodded. "Irina told me she was your childhood friend. She holds considerable admiration for you." he then cast his eyes over Asia, who was still sleeping peacefully. "All three of them do."

Issei didn't reply to that. "Short version of what happened, Kokabiel showed up to kill Rias and Sona, found neither of them here. Irina and Xenovia showed up and fought some exorcists. Irina was injured when Asia found them. They made the mistake of kidnapping them."

"A mistake indeed. I was to pass judgment on them, but it seems you've already done that in my stead." Naruto commented.

"They had it coming. No one hurts my friends and gets away with it." Issei answered.

Naruto nodded. "That's fair. So, what are you going to do now? I have to take them back, they have duties to attend to, work to do, lives to live. Plus, some angels owe them apologies."

Issei locked his eyes with Naruto's own. "I don't want them to go back to the church if I can help it. Asia told me about what happened to her, what the clergy did. Irina and Xenovia were armed with Excalibur fragments and sent to fight an opponent far out of their league. That's now how it should work."

Naruto nodded. "I agree. Those responsible for all this are currently on the run from us. My own people will see to it that they can't run for long. You can take my word for it."

"What good is your word? I don't even know who you are!" Issei spoke in a scathing voice.

"How about this. I, Naruto Uzumaki, leader of the _Officio Assassinorum_ and Bladesage, promise to you that whoever is responsible for this farce will be dead by the end of the week, if they aren't already." Naruto stated, and Issei's eyes widened in surprise.

"The church assassins are a real thing?" he asked, and Naruto nodded, showing Issei his emblem.

"Yes, and I have a feeling that you could gain something by joining us." Naruto spoke. "You're powerful, sure, but I know three humans other than myself who could beat you outright, and five more who could defeat you over time."

"You have strength but no skill. Skill is something we can give you." Naruto continued. "Plus, if you want to make sure the girls are okay, why not be there for them?"

Issei was silent for a moment. "I'm not much of a Christian, Naruto. I didn't even believe in the occult before… Well… All of _this_ happened."

Naruto laughed. "Issei, before I joined the Exorcist, I didn't know shit about Christianity. Trust me, if you're powerful enough, they'll take you in even if you're a devout follower of any other religion. I mean, have you heard of converting?"

Issei was silent. "What about my schooling? My parents?"

Naruto answered that by drawing STRADA and cutting open a hole to the Vatican. "You don't need to live in the Vatican. I'm quite good at logistics, as you can guess by our little workout in the Sahara desert."

Issei stayed silent. "Can I think it over?"

Naruto nodded. "Sleep on it. You can tell me in the morning. Remember, it's just an option."

Issei nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."

Naruto smiled. "You do that. Also, you explained why you cared for Asia and Irina. Why did you insist on protecting Xenovia too?"

Issei flashed Naruto an ecstatic grin. "Her Oppai… IT'S AMAZING!"

At loss for an answer, Naruto nodded. "Uh huh. That's fair… good night, Issei."

As he left Issei's room, he wondered whether he could still retract his offer. He didn't need Griselda getting on his case for initiating a pervert into the exorcists.

God knows they already had enough of those amongst the clergy…

* * *

Sona knew this was going to be a long day the moment Naruto had walked into Kuoh, now, she knew it would only get worse.

"They actually sent an exorcist? The nerve… "

Sona winced at her best friend's high-pitched voice. On the other side of her work table sat Rias, flanked by her peerage as Sona was by her own.

"Issei was a problem for humans. The church sent a human. Simple logic." Sona replied, taking a sip of her tea.

Rias huffed. "Me and my peerage cut into our precious training time to go and kill that pesky fallen angel who dared kill my soon-to-be pawn. He's my problem, no one else's."

Sona sighed. "You ran off without even confirming whether he was dead or not. You didn't even tell me that our training trip was canceled. You basically made sure that Issei was left alone in a town that would soon come under attack by fallen angels."

Rias shifted a bit in her seat. "Y-yeah I admit I was a bit hasty in my actions. Still, to learn that Issei was able to take down Kokabiel was a pleasant surprise."

Sona was silent for a moment. She knew that had Rias been in town, Kokabiel would have never stood a chance. Since that incident with Zekram Bael, something had changed in her best friend. A hunger to become the best, to protect her friends. It was almost like she was living her life on someone else's ideals.

Whatever those might be, it had led to her becoming a candidate for the strongest young devil, right up there with her cousin Sairaorg.

"He gave up half his body to Ddraig. Even half a dragon is stronger than a grigori." Sona admitted. "You do know that he hates you beyond reason, right?"

Rias was confused for a second. "What does he think? That I _wanted_ him to die?"she stuttered indignantly. Sona gave her a planted stare, and it finally dawned on Rias.

"Wait, so he actually saw me that night? Unfortunate. Still, I have a way to make things better." Rias spoke with a grin on her face.

Sona took another sip of her drink. "Go on, tell me your stupid plan."

Rias answered her by snapping her fingers. Her queen, Akeno, handed a rather large urn to her master.

"Do I need to know what's in there?" Sona asked, and Rias' grin grew.

"Let's just say that this urn is filled with ashes. Whose ashes they are, I'll let you guess." Rias finished.

Sona was honestly stumped by her friend at this point. "Rias, do you honestly believe that an urn full of angel remains constitutes a peace offering?"

Rias shrugged. "It's revenge served cold! Weren't humans supposed to really enjoy it?"

Sona sighed. "Drop that. Honestly, just go visit him and explain. That exorcist apparently stayed over at the Hyoudou residence last night. Maybe he'll help mediate things, given that he's still alive… Hopefully."

Rias gave the urn back to Akeno. "I guess I'll go do that. Come on guys, let's go."

Sona watched as Rias and her peerage disappeared in their summoning circles. She finally finished her tea. Maybe it wasn't the brightest idea to send someone as headstrong as Rias to handle a situation this diplomatic…

Still, it wasn't any of her concern.

Instead, her concern was the fact that neither she, nor her peerage could remember exactly who the exorcist sent by the church was…

* * *

"So, have you made up your mind?"

Issei watched as Naruto closed the portal after letting the female exorcists and Asia through. Issei had gotten to say his farewells, and now, he got to make his decision.

He'd be lying if he said he hadn't given it thought. He couldn't sleep all night, having spent it all debating the pros and cons of joining the exorcists.

Issue was, there weren't many 'cons'. Naruto had offered him a chance to live and study in Italy, he had even offered the chance to stay in Kuoh and keep studying. The second one wasn't an option. He did not want to live in a town that was owned and run by devils.

It was the same for his parents. Naruto had offered Issei complete transferral, family included. His father would be laid off from his current company and offered a job in Italy. It would be smooth, painless.

The very opposite of his interactions with the devils.

Yet, his mind wandered. Would there be a difference between joining the church or joining the devils? Had he been turned into a devil that night, would things have been different?

" _There is no use dwelling over the past, child. Life is a one-way road, and you can only move forward."_

It also helped that Ddraig had found respect for Naruto, as both a warrior and a negotiator. Joining the church under Naruto's tutelage would be a win-win for both of them.

"Yes, I have. It was a surprisingly simple decision to make." Issei spoke.

"The simplest decisions are the hardest to make. Some wise man said that. I can't really relate though." Naruto answered with a chuckle. "I just take action with my fists. Knowing you, I'd say so do you."

Issei gave Naruto a smile. "Yeah, true that. Still, you already know my answer."

Naruto returned Issei's smile. "Alright then, pack your bags. Your parents don't return from their holiday till next week, right?" a shake of Issei's head answered him, so he continued. "Well, that'll just make the process easier. Let's get to the Vatican and get you inducted."

Issei was about to tell Naruto to grab a seat and make himself comfortable when the doorbell interrupted him. "I'll get that. You take a seat." He spoke, as he left the room. The bell rang twice more before he got to his door.

" _You humans are much too impatient."_

It was when Issei opened the door that Ddraig stood corrected. Humans might be impatient, but they still had nothing on the kings of impatience.

Devils.

"What are you doing here?" Issei asked through clenched teeth. Rias didn't have enough humility to even look cowed. Instead, she gave him a winning smile.

"I came here to clean up some misconceptions Sona told me you had." Rias spoke. "Also, I'm quite glad to see you're still alive."

Issei noticed that Rias was already leaning in. She probably expected him to let her into his house. Knowing what he did about Naruto, that wasn't a good idea.

"Talk. Make it quick." Issei ordered. Rias' smile faltered for a second, but returned full force.

"Firstly. Why do you believe that I wanted to forcibly recruit you?"

Rias' question caught Issei completely off-guard. He sputtered, trying to come up with a response. Finally, his mind caught up with his mouth.

"You… saw me die, you didn't help. Hell, why were you even there?" Issei asked. Rias sighed in response.

"So, when you were dying, why didn't I just turn you?"

Again, Issei was lost for an answer. Before he could respond, Rias pulled out a bloodied slip of paper and showed it to Issei.

"This should be familiar to you. It was given to you and many others, distributed outside school by my familiar. You took one, do you remember what this said." She asked, and Issei shook his head. She continued. "This paper is a simplified pentagram. Basically, when you bled on this paper with your intention to 'not die', I was summoned under contract to save you."

"Well, why didn't you check on me, then? Might have been more helpful."

Rias shook her head. "Issei, I need you to understand that I had been trying to work up the courage to ask you to join my peerage for months. That moment when you summoned me, all I saw was you, splayed out on the ground with a fist-sized hole in your body. I was livid." Her gaze hardened. "I was - and still am - dead set on making you a part of my peerage. I already considered you a part of my family. To see a fallen angel come to _my_ territory and murder _my_ potential pawn. Well, I saw red."

"So you ran after Rayanare, didn't you?" Issei cooly asked, trying to hide his repulsive reaction to Rias calling him a part of her family, combined with the creepy connotations of her other claims.

"Let's just say she's no more. Then, I returned last night to find out that not only were you alive, but because neither me nor Sona were here, you cleaned up a mess created to lure us out." Rias continued, cupping Issei's face in her hands. "I have to apologize, but you have no idea how much that excites me."

Issei could barely suppress a shiver as he moved his face away. His anger was rising. That's when he blurted out something he instantly regretted.

"Is that how you got Naruto to your side before you killed him?"

Rias instantly froze, and so did Issei as he realized what he'd said.

"H-how do you know that name?" Rias blurted out. Issei realized at that point that he had to end it. Send her away, be done with her.

"Forget I said that. I don't want to have anything to do with you or your peerage. The last thing I want to be is a glorified slave. Now, leave." Issei spoke, trying to close the door behind him. He was unsuccessful as Rias shoved her hand through the closing door. She didn't seem to care as the closing door dug into her arm.

"Issei, how do you know that name." Rias spoke, pushing the door with all her might. Issei was surprised by how much power the girl had in her frame.

"You do not need to know!" Issei grunted as he pushed back with his might. He couldn't let her in, and he couldn't use his true power, lest he destroy the door and everything around it.

 _Issei, I can't feel Naruto's presence anymore!_ Ddraig spoke in his mind. The shock was enough to make Issei stop resisting, allowing Rias to plow through, pushing past the door and into him.

 _Oh Shit_.

They both tumbled to the ground. There was an angry expression on Rias' face as Issei lay sprawled over her. Issei capitalized on her anger and grabbed her by her jacket's hem, dragging her prone form out the open door and flinging her like a bag of trash.

"Do _not_ enter my house, devil. I don't have anything to do with you." Issei seethed, letting his power wild. Rias was definitely not expecting his power to have risen this far, and the shock on her face made that amply clear. "If you try to pull something like that again, your followers will have to sew your pieces back together."

With his warning given, Issei closed his door. He felt her teleport out after a few seconds, and then he finally ran into the family room where he'd left Naruto, only to find him gone, having left a note on the table.

"Be back in an hour. Metatron called. Get your packing finished"

Issei collapsed on to a sofa and let out a short laugh. There had to be some higher power at work here, else had the two met, one wouldn't be leaving his house in one piece... whatever would be left of his house, that is.

Knowing the world he was part of now, he wouldn't even be surprised.

* * *

 **Hello, readers, and welcome to the cliffhanger you're going to hate more than any other cliffhanger I have ever made. In my defense. I wasn't going to end here.**

 **Except I couldn't come up with another way to end this chapter within 10k words. I'd have to write around 6k+ more words to come to another decent point of conclusion.**

 **So, this is what you're gonna get till chapter 5 drops.**

 **-CruelRuin**


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